


Locked Away

by guiltyaschanged



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Absent Parents, Abuse, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, Angst, Big Sister Lena, Brotherly Bonding, Child Abuse, Crossover, Dark, Ducktales AU, Escape, Gaslighting, Gen, Kidnapping, Rebellion, Shadow Lena (Disney: DuckTales), Sibling Bonding, Tangled AU, Triplets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:14:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27040297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guiltyaschanged/pseuds/guiltyaschanged
Summary: Shortly after Donald and Della are lost to space, Magica exacts her revenge against Scrooge McDuck. She steals Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who were only eggs at the time, and locks them away in a tower. She forces Lena to stay in the tower and watch over them while she seeks vengeance against Scrooge.  This is a Ducktales/Tangled AU.
Relationships: Dewey Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck, Dewey Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck & Lena (Disney: DuckTales), Lena (Disney: DuckTales) & Webby Vanderquack
Comments: 78
Kudos: 152





	1. Losing Them All

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is going to be a multi-chapter Ducktales AU inspired by Tangled!   
> I hope you'll enjoy this, and I will try my best to write the next chapter soon. :)

Della Duck smiled as she ran her hand across The Spear of Selene. It was beautiful; a marvel to behold. And she would be the first to fly it.

Della was filled with nothing but elation as she climbed on board. In many ways, this would be her last adventure as just herself. Soon, Della would become a mother. Soon, three little ducklings would depend on her for everything.

And Della was ready to give them the world. 

So, this would be her last hurrah before the boys hatched. What would come next was anyone’s guess. The only thing Della knew is that they deserved nothing less than the stars. 

Having already been an experienced pilot, Della appreciated the excellent craftsmanship of The Spear. Uncle Scrooge had really outdone himself this time. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too mad at her for taking the gift early. She had left a note. 

Adrenaline pulsed through her veins as she took a seat. She would soon be on her way into the depths of space!

Suddenly, something clanged behind her. Della whipped around, unhappy to be facing her twin brother, Donald.

“Della? What are you doing?” he spluttered angrily. 

Della rolled her eyes. “What does it look like? I’m taking the rocket for a test ride! I’ll be back in a jiffy, don’t worry.”

“But the boys are going to hatch any time now! I just saw them a few minutes ago. How can you leave?”

Della half-turned away from Donald. “Because! I just want to have one last adventure as. . . as who I am  _ now _ .”

“But they’re waiting for you, Della. You can’t leave when they’re about to come into the world. As a mother-”

“Alright, alright! I hear you.” Della was growing more and more agitated with her brother. He seemed so determined to hold her back lately.

Of course, he was slightly right. The triplets would need her soon, and she still had every intention of being there when they hatched. Couldn’t Donald just let her have a little fun?

“Then let’s get off this thing and leave it for another day,” Donald sighed, motioning her to step away from the controls. 

Della’s eyes narrowed as she let her impulsiveness take over. “No, let’s do it today!” she exclaimed, starting the countdown for takeoff.

“Della! Are you crazy?” Donald cried, clutching the nearest chair. 

“Oh come on, it’ll be fun! You’ve gotta lighten up!” Della replied, strapping herself in.

Donald gulped, taking a seat behind her. His forehead creased in worry as the countdown finished and the twins were shot into space. 

Unfortunately, it didn’t remain a joyride, and soon they found themselves battling a cosmic storm. 

“Donald! Della!” came Scrooge’s chopped voice through the intercom. It filled the twins with hope to hear their Uncle. “I’m going to talk you through this!”

Back on Earth, Scrooge was scrambling to aid his niece and nephew. They would make it through this. They were more than capable. And even if they couldn’t do it themselves, he was Scrooge McDuck! He would be able to bring the twins back home. 

But despite all of Scrooge's desperate efforts, he wasn’t able to beat the force of space. The cosmic storm had grown too powerful.

The last thing Scrooge heard was the cries of his kids. “Uncle Scrooge!” Donald and Della screamed.

And Scrooge knew it would haunt him forever. 

For a long, horrible moment, Scrooge felt like all was lost. He had built that stupid rocket. It was his fault they were dead.

No, maybe not dead. He had to think more optimistically, even if it was challenging. Perhaps they had survived; they were a strong pair. Scrooge vowed to find them, even if he had to empty his entire money bin.

Although that still wasn’t much better. Donald and Della had been lost to space. Scrooge had failed them both. When he remembered the triplets, he realized he’d failed them all.

While Scrooge’s entire world was shattering, he was completely unaware of the shadow breaking into his mansion. 

The shadow’s name was Lena, and she was here for revenge. 

It wasn’t difficult to break in, especially since she had her Aunt Magica at her side. “Find them,” Magica hissed.

The sorceress had no way of knowing the tragedy currently occurring within the Duck Family. All she knew was that the children were hatching soon.

When Lena finally found the cradle the eggs were tucked into, Magica cackled in pleasure. “Perfect, this is all going to plan!”

Lena glanced up at her aunt, who looked like more of a shadow than her. The dark presence loomed over the eggs, watching them gleefully.

Lena studied the cradle for a second, noticing that the words “Huey, Dewey, and Louie” were engraved into the rim.

“So, I just take them?” Lena asked nervously. What if Scrooge McDuck walked in? What would she do then? 

“Of course you just take them, you imbecile! And we must be quick if this is going to work!” Magica scolded. 

Lena rolled her eyes, then gathered each of the eggs into her arms. It was odd, they were more full of life then her own body. She could feel the warmth of the three little ducklings inside, as well as the slight trembling of each egg. 

They had been able to steal the eggs quite easily. Lena found it surprising that no one in the Duck family ever intercepted them. They hadn’t even needed to be sneaky!

Magica instructed her shadow to a rather discreet place, hidden behind walls of rocks and vines. After setting down the eggs, Lena took out her amulet from underneath her long-sleeved shirt.

With her aunt grinning devilishly behind her, Lena enchanted a tower to rise out of the ground. It was made of dark cobblestone that twisted upwards and ended in a dangerous looking spike. 

“It’s perfect, Lena, dear,” Magica praised, which sent a burst of joy through Lena. “Now, bring them up.”

Lena nodded, then grabbed the eggs and gracefully floated to the top. She had made it so there was only one square window in the entire tower. It was also the only obvious entrance.

Lena proceeded to nestle the eggs into a little nest of cushions. She turned to her Aunt Magica expectedly, awaiting further instructions.

“This has all gone marvelously. The little ducks will make for perfect leverage against Scrooge, and no one will ever find them here!”

“So we’re going to stay here with them?” Lena questioned.

Magica chuckled. “Well,  _ you  _ are. I’ll stop by occasionally of course, but you’ll take care of the little gremlins.”

Lena crossed her arms angrily. She hadn’t known she would be trapped inside the tower along with the eggs. “What? How would that even be possible? You’re attached to me!”

“Don’t get cocky! My plan has many phases. And this is only the beginning. I’ll defeat Scrooge very soon and have an actual body again. Then, I will unleash the shadow realm and control all of Duckburg! It will be the perfect revenge against Scrooge.”

“But it’s not fair to keep me prisoner here!” Lena huffed.

Magica narrowed her eyes. “Don’t forget you belong to me, darling Lena. And now they will too. I’ll keep all of you locked away in this perfect little tower!”

Magica paused, leaning closer to Lena. “But you’ll have your freedom someday. You’ll just have to work for it.”

Lena glanced at the eggs. “I don’t know if I believe you.”

Magica laughed. “Just remember, I know best.”


	2. Taking Back the Dime

Lena had broken into the mansion a second time. Tonight, however, she had shadows in her eyes. 

Her body was possessed by her Aunt Magica, and Lena wasn’t entirely opposed to it. Although her chest had a constant uncomfortable and tight feeling throughout the whole ordeal. 

But Lena couldn’t complain, she knew this was her last night of freedom. At least for a long while.

She had no choice! Magica had sentenced her to the tower.

Tonight, Magica would take back the dime. The sorceress would finally have her long-awaited revenge against Scrooge McDuck. And Lena knew her Aunt planned to make it long and agonizing for her rival. 

Unfortunately, Scrooge in the present didn’t amount to his former glory. He looked rather depressed from where he sat all alone in his armchair. The lights weren’t even on.

He was just a sad old man who had lost everything. Lena couldn’t help but feel a little pity, even though she quickly cast it aside. What if her Aunt could tell what she was thinking? 

For a few moments, Scrooge didn’t even realize there was someone else in the room with him. By the time he was staring into the inky abyss of Lena’s eyes, his fate had already been sealed.

“Wh-what? How did you-” he sputtered. 

Lena smiled. “This isn’t the first time.” her voice echoed. Although it wasn’t really  _ Lena  _ speaking, it was the shadow of Magica de Spell. 

Scrooge simply stared at Lena, aghast. It seemed as though he was about to attack the possessed duckling, when he abruptly sunk back down into his chair, dejected. 

“You’re not even going to fight me?” Lena demanded. For the greatest adventurer of all time, he had given up rather easily.

“Why should I? I’ve lost them all,” Scrooge sighed.

Lena narrowed her eyes and curled her fists. “Don’t worry. I’ve been taking good care of the eggs.”

A light suddenly sparked in Scrooge’s weary expression. “The triplets?” he cried out exuberantly. Then his emotions rapidly changed, like a cruel storm coming unexpectedly during a cloudless day. 

“Who are you?” he asked venomously. 

“Oh, finally!” At once, Lena felt a brutal pull, like someone was unwinding all of her insides (not that she really had any). 

A towering shadow emptied out of her, and became the cackling form of Magica. She loomed over Scrooge, who was astounded. 

“Magica de Spell,” he proclaimed. Despite being Scrooge McDuck, he didn’t look at all intimidating. Judging from his appearance, he hadn’t washed in days. 

“You look absolutely terrible,” the shadow of Magica grinned.

While Scrooge was distracted, Lena swiftly ripped Scrooge’s Number One Dime away from his neck. She had expected it to feel a bit more. . . monumental. But now she could tell it was clearly just a dime. Why did Scrooge and Aunt Magica care for it so much?

“Yes, this revenge will be sweet!” Magica snarled. Scrooge seemed frozen to the spot. Perhaps he was too shocked, or perhaps he didn’t even have the desire to fight his old arch-nemesis.

Suddenly, a beacon of light erupted from the dime. And there she stood, as Lena had never seen her before. Magica de Spell had her body back, standing tall and proud.

“Got anything to say, Scrooge? Final words? Hmm?” Magica taunted, seizing the dime out of Lena’s hands. 

Scrooge’s bill fell open, but no words came out. Magica laughed and held out the Number One Dime. A bright beam identical to the previous one began to suck Scrooge in. 

It was a cruel, and perhaps deserved, fate. Scrooge would be trapped inside the same dime as her Aunt Magica had been for centuries. To Lena, it seemed like justice had been served. 

With one final yelp, Scrooge was imprisoned inside of his most prized possession. Magica flipped the coin with a smug smile. Lena noticed a portrait of Scrooge’s head was now engraved in the side. 

“Not the most inspiring final words,” Magica commented disapprovingly.

Magica swiftly turned on Lena, roughly grabbing her by the back of her shirt. “Hey!” Lena protested. 

What was the need for this? She would’ve gone with her Aunt anyways. They were family after all. 

“Come now,” she tutted. “Back to the tower with you.”

At the reminder of her new reality, Lena felt hopelessly miserable. As they arrived at the hidden tower, Lena rubbed the purple amulet against her chest. It served as a reminder; she still had power. Her  _ own  _ power. 

The inside room of the tower was rather dark and surprisingly quiet. As Magica set a lamp afire with her magic, Lena rushed over to the triplets.

They had hatched only two days ago, and had since stayed swaddled in the little nest of blankets and cushions she’d prepared for them. Now, the three ducklings stared up at her with wide eyes reflecting the moonlight.

Lena couldn’t deny that she was beginning to feel some protective instinct over the little ones. It would just be the four of them in this tower now. She wouldn’t call it love. Not yet, at least. How could Lena love someone when nobody loved her? Did she even really know what love was?

For the first time since Lena’s arrival, the little babies cooed at her. And Lena hadn’t known a shadow such as herself could feel such joy.

Lena felt a hand at her shoulder, sending chills down her back. “Are you going soft, little Lena? Don’t get too attached to the little freaks. It’ll cost you more than it’s worth,” Magica murmured softly. 

Lena took a deep breath. “They’re not freaks. And they’re Huey, Dewey, and Louie, remember?” She hadn’t forgotten the names engraved in the cradle she’d stolen them from. 

Magica scoffed. “You’re seriously honoring those ridiculous rhyming names? To me they’re just Red, Bluey, and Green.”

Her Aunt was referring to the color-coded clothing Lena had magicked up for the triplets. Otherwise, it would’ve been nearly impossible to tell the difference. 

Their conversation was interrupted by Louie, the youngest of the trio, making happy little noises and reaching for something. Lena realized he was looking at the Number One Dime that Magica wore around her neck.

Magica chuckled, watching the small duckling. “Look at that! Green wants the dime, doesn’t he?” Much to Lena’s astonishment, her Aunt actually handed over the coin.

Louie was enthralled with the quaint dime, perhaps because of its shininess. He even passed it around to his brothers, to get their inspection and opinion.

How odd the scene was. The triplets would never know how momentarily close they had been to their Uncle Scrooge.

Magica snatched the coin away from Louie. Thankfully, Louie didn’t cry. He only innocently stared up at the sorceress, as if asking  _ what did I do wrong _ ? 

Magica rolled her eyes and backed away from the triplets, preparing to leave through the window. 

“Wait, wait!” Lena desperately cried, tugging at Magica’s arm. 

Magica quickly swiped Lena away, glaring at her. “So this is it? I never get to leave?” Lena asked breathlessly. “You’re just going to keep me here?”

“Lena, darling, I don’t have time for this. I have so much to do, so much havoc to cause! And don’t worry, I won’t keep Scrooge in the dime for long. What use is keeping his nephews here if he can’t even fully experience the torment of losing them? Oh, I have so many plans!” Magica said gleefully. 

Magica cocked her head. “Are you really so incompetent that you can’t even take care of the eggs? The  _ one _ task I’ve assigned you?”

“I will, Aunt Magica,” Lena sighed.

“And you know that instead of this generous alternative, I could just as easily send you back to the Shadow Realm?”

“Yes, Aunt Magica.”

Magica turned to leave, saying one last thing over her shoulder. “You mustn't forget that there will be many phases to my revenge against Scrooge McDuck. Perhaps you’ll be needed in a different way. Never say never.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I'm not sure if the magic logistics (the eclipse and such) of Magica returning to her real body actually checks out with the lore of canon, so I apologize if that's the case. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and I will hopefully be posting another chapter soon. :)


	3. Growing Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here is Chapter 3!   
> Thank you for the kudos and reviews. I will try my best to keep writing this. :)

To Huey, Dewey, and Louie, there was no world outside of the walls of their tower. For the first few years, all they had known was the comforting care of Lena. They saw her as their big sister. 

The only other duck who came into their tower was their Aunt Magica. The triplets always looked forward to her visits, since she would bring them something every time. It didn’t matter if it was food or gifts, they were always excited. 

Despite having magic to aid her, Lena still found watching over three baby ducklings to be quite a chore. They were always climbing and getting into everything. But Lena had learned what to watch out for. 

Huey had a temper. She always kept a watchful eye on him whenever he and his brothers were playing, to make sure he didn’t break a toy out of anger. Magica was never pleased when she found her ‘gifts’ broken. Lena always took the fall, and her Aunt saw it as rebellious retaliation.

Dewey liked putting things in his mouth. The kid would probably swallow everything he touched had Lena not been there to stop him. She could already tell that the blue triplet was going to be quite a handful. 

Louie was quiet. He kept to the shadows better than her, and she was an  _ actual  _ shadow! Lena feared that he might crawl out of the window one day, and she’d never know. Some days the youngest triplet would just stare at her. In a weird kind of way, Lena found herself respecting the kid. It was like he was aware of his imprisonment, and revolting against it by not speaking.

Lena couldn’t deny it anymore. She had grown a soft spot for the three boys. Like it or not, they were in this together.

Whenever Lena felt like going insane from being trapped in the tower, she would think of her duty to Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Aunt Magica might have all of them in her grasp, but Lena intended to keep the three of them safe. 

By the time the triplets were six years old, they all had fallen into a routine. They knew how life worked inside of their little bubble. 

Huey, Dewey, and Louie would wake Lena up early, even though there was nothing new to look forward too. 

The four had devised the best activities to keep from total boredom. They would cook, clean, do crafts, read (although that was mostly Huey, because his brothers lost attention if there weren’t any pictures), and let their childish imaginations run wild. 

There was one activity, however, that was somewhat forbidden. Aunt Magica had given them paint, and Lena could always conjure up more with her own magic. These paints were only ever intended for paper. But the triplets, and especially Dewey, had taken to making squiggly murals on the walls. 

Once done with plastering disagreeing colors all around, the triplets would move on to something else. Lena would then scrub off the art as quick as she could. Having magic definitely helped. 

Lena didn’t know how Aunt Magica would react to the little ones’ graffiti, and frankly didn’t want to find out anytime soon.

Although they sometimes got under her nerves, Lena was incredibly thankful for the little troublemakers. They kept her sane. 

So, they kept to their routine. And every night, Lena would guide the identical ducklings up the short flight of stairs into their little bedroom. She would tuck them in and kiss them goodnight. 

One night however, a soft little voice stopped her from leaving the room. 

“Why can’t we go outside?” It was Louie. The youngest, and probably the most observant of the triplets. 

Lena’s heart ached for the duckling dressed in green. And for his brothers, who were now eagerly awaiting her answer. 

She couldn’t tell them the unfortunate truth, but also didn’t want to lie. They were just kids, and would take anything she said at face value. 

Lena sat back down on their bed, deciding to settle for a half truth. “Well, it’s too dangerous to go out there. The cities are filled with shadows.”

“Shadows!” Huey squeaked, covering his eyes.

Dewey reassuringly patted his older brother on the shoulder. “Bu’ we could fight them!” he exclaimed. 

“No, we’re no match for them.”

“Not even you?” They all asked her simultaneously. Lena almost laughed, seeing their wide eyes. Must be a triplet thing, to unknowingly act and speak the same.

Lena shook her head. Although Louie wasn’t about to drop the subject. “What about Aunt Magica? She’s not here all the time.” 

“That’s because she’s protecting us,” Lena chose her words carefully. In a warped way, that was right. For a moment, Lena felt rather selfish, realizing she’d rather have the boys locked away in here with her, rather than out in the shadow-ridden world. “We’re all safer in the tower.”

“But. . . you’ll always stay with us, right?” Huey implored. “So the shadows don’t eat us?”

Louie rolled his eyes, but Dewey seemed thrilled by the prospect of shadows trying to eat him. “I’d wanna see them try! No-good shadow monsters!”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough for now,” Lena soothed. She leaned in to ruffle Huey’s hair. “And yes, I’ll always stay with you.”

The boys looked relieved from her words, even Dewey. She tucked them in once more.

“Promise?” Louie asked. Lena hated how innocent he was.

“No no. Triple-promise,” Dewey interjected. “For all three of us.”

“I promise,” Lena murmured. Dewey raised an eyebrow at her. “Sorry. I triple-promise. Now goodnight.” 

“Goodnight,” Huey, Dewey, and Louie chorused back. 

Lena found herself pacing next to the window for most of the night, since she wasn’t sleepy. Aunt Magica hadn’t come for a few days. 

As Lena listened to the gentle snores of the triplets, she couldn’t help but wonder if her Aunt would ever thank her. Lena had just convinced Magica’s prisoners why it was better to stay in their cage, after all.

In the nine years they’d been in the tower, Magica had never stayed this long. Magica had told Lena she had needed a break from her ever so tiring work. Or more accurately, revenge against Scrooge McDuck.

A break apparently equated to an extremely uncomfortable lunch. For Lena, at least. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were rather enthralled that their “Aunt” was still there. 

Lena watched as they enjoyed the pastries Magica had brought. She felt rather tense, being near her Aunt. 

The boys may have seemed oblivious to Lena’s discomfort, but she knew them well enough to know they weren't. Louie could definitely tell, and probably had a few theories as to why. And Dewey had never done a very good job at hiding his dislike of Magica. 

Lena figured he must’ve come to that conclusion himself, since she had been very careful to never say anything bad about their Aunt. (But she’d definitely  _ thought _ bad of her.)

Huey, on the other hand, had his bill in a book. The Junior Woodchuck Guidebook, specifically. The red cover was rather tattered in age, and had surely belonged to someone else before him.

It had been one of the new books Magica had brought the boys a few months ago, and Huey had taken a special interest in the manual. From what Lena could tell, it looked like some sort of nature scout thing. 

She also suspected that the red triplet saw the book as a guide to the outside world. 

Huey had made a habit of simultaneously reading and eating during a meal. Right now was no exception. So it was all the more surprising to Lena when he paused from his endeavor and asked her a question. 

“Hey, Lena? How come you hardly ever eat with us?”

Lena didn’t know how to answer for a moment. Of course, the reason was that she was a shadow, and didn’t need the constant nutrition they did. But she couldn’t just announce her true form, especially since she’d done a perfect job of teaching the triplets that shadows wanted to hurt them.

She cleared her throat. “I’m not as hungry as you three. You’re growing and need to eat more.” 

Huey cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. Thankfully, he didn’t push it - although he looked like he had more questions.

Magica cast Lena a sideways glare. Lena crossed her arms. What did her Aunt expect? Of course it was somehow  _ her  _ fault that Huey was just naturally curious. 

A frosty silence fell between them. More than anything, Lena just wanted the sorceress to leave them be. She felt very on edge whenever Magica was around. 

Suddenly, Dewey broke the quiet, and said the worst possible thing. His eyes glowed in defiance as he challenged Magica. 

“When can we leave this stupid tower?”

Everyone at the table held their breath in worried anticipation. Huey even put his book down. Lena silently hoped Magica wouldn’t lash out against Dewey. . . and if she did, Lena would be quick to intercept. 

Magica tipped her head towards the middle triplet, almost robotically. Then, she stiffly stood up from her seat at the table.

“Oh,” she gasped dramatically. “So you want to leave, don’t you Bluey?”

Magica reached down and picked Dewey up by the back of his shirt. Huey and Louie hopped up indignantly. Lena held them back, not wanting to make matters worse. Aunt Magica was clearly ramping up to something.

“Well you wouldn’t last a day out there! You’d be in over your head, trust me!” Magica laughed maliciously, letting Dewey drop to the floor. 

Then, she shoved the triplets towards the center of the room. With a flick of her wrist, Magica slammed boards over the window, making everything go dark. 

Before any of them had time to react, Magica had triggered a few candles to light up, igniting the nervous features of Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

By some invisible force, Magica had tethered Lena to her spot. Her Aunt had made it so that she was forced to watch the triplets from afar, unable to interfere. 

“You gremlins should know by now that shadows lurk out there. And all of you are far too weak and incompetent to fend them off! You should be thankful I keep you here, graciously protecting you!” Magica went on devilishly, walking circles around them.

The boys all shrunk into each other. Then Dewey shook his head. “But-”

Magica interrupted him. “And what about you, Red? Surely you understand why you can never leave this tower?”

Huey nervously exchanged a glance with Dewey. Louie was squashed between them, squeezing his eyes shut. “Well technically we’ve never experienced outside, so-”

“I think you’re better off sticking to your imaginary worlds, my dear,” Magica motioned to the guidebook Huey was clutching to his chest with a vice-like grip.

Next Magica focused on Louie, softly tugging at his green hoodie and pulling him away from his brothers. Poor Louie took a deep breath, clearly afraid of Magica. 

Lena had never wanted to hug anyone so badly in her entire life. She wanted to scream too, but no words came out. Magica had silenced her as well as immobilized her. 

“Why hello, little Green,” Magica practically sang. Louie shuddered as he stared up at her. 

“Of course  _ you  _ must know you’re far too cowardly and fearful to face the shadows. You know you’re safest here, where I will always keep you.”

Louie said nothing, opting to shut his eyes again in an attempt to block her words out. Magica laughed, gazing down at the three ducklings she had just successfully terrified. 

The blocked off window burst open, allowing light back in. “I’ll leave you with these words; I know best,” Magica grinned. It was a phrase Lena had gotten used to, and come to despise.

And then she was gone in a breeze, with the candles distinguishing in her wake.

The four ducks stood there for a few seconds, paralyzed. But Lena was able to snap out of her stupor, and rushed over to the boys, gathering them up in a hug.

While the triplets were all clearly shocked and frightened, Dewey felt something different, unbeknownst to the others. 

Yes, even after all that, he felt it even stronger. He wanted it more than before. 

Dewey wanted out. 


	4. Breaking a Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 4! Sorry I haven't been posting many stories on here, as I've been focusing on NaNoWriMo. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy! :)

When you were trapped in the same place for ten years, you lost hope in the idea of miracles. Not that Lena had ever really believed in hope. 

At first, Magica’s arrival wasn’t out of the ordinary. Besides the fact that Huey and Louie had only become more and more petrified of the sorceress. Dewey, however, still carried that dangerous sense of rebellion with him.

Lena knew because she too had the urge to fight back, but hadn’t, for the boys’ sake. She knew that her Aunt had wanted to squash her shadow’s rebellious nature once and for all. But Lena would never relent, even if it seemed that way to Magica. 

She might comply and obey Magica’s every command, but she would never, never submit. 

As the boys rushed to set the table for Magica, Lena realized something was off. Her Aunt had the aura of displeasure and excitement. The sharp contrast worried Lena. Had Magica brought more than manipulative words for dinner? 

As Huey and Louie scrambled to set out fresh loaves of bread and butter, Dewey purposefully took his time in pouring Magica her drink. When he  _ accidentally _ spilled a few droplets onto Magica’s robes, he made sure to deliberately look her in the eye. 

“Was I intruding on something?” Magica cleared her throat, nonchalantly motioning to the streamers strung all around the tower. 

“It’s their tenth birthday today,” Lena informed her, feeling a bitter pang in her heart at the tense expressions that adorned Huey, Dewey, and Louie’s faces. 

Magica looked as though she were about to say something different, but then changed her mind. “Of course! Well, well, we should be celebrating with. . . whatever festivities you children partake in.” 

Magica moved to pat each of them on the heads. Dewey cringed away. Huey and Louie stayed put, evidently scared of what would happen if they did flinch out of her reach.

“We, um - we made cake,” Huey stammered.

“Huey made it. He’s very good,” Louie added, shivering. 

Dewey narrowed his eyes. “This celebration really  _ is  _ a bright spot in our dreary lives. It is such a shame we don’t get out more often.”

Magica made a point to exhale loudly. Lena held her breath. The middle triplet was being a bit too impulsive; he was going to get himself hurt. 

Thankfully, Magica repressed the many hateful emotions she was most likely feeling, and turned away from the triplets. 

“Let them eat cake. I have some news for you, Lena.” she hissed, almost like a snake. 

Lena shot the boys a reassuring look from over her shoulder, hoping that would at least calm two out of three down. 

Magica led Lena to one of the spare rooms upstairs. Then, she conjured a spell on the door, keeping their conversation private. 

Magica grabbed Lena’s arm, speaking intensely. “I’ve heard rumors of a rebellion.”

“A rebellion? Is it in here?” Lena crossed her arms. 

“Of course not, you imbecile, all though I will admit Bluey is testing me,” Magica snapped. 

“Don’t blame me if your utopia still isn’t going strong after ten years,” Lena shot back, trying to take the attention off of Dewey. 

“That’s enough back talk! This is serious. It’s apparently started  _ inside  _ the mansion.”

“Scrooge’s mansion? Isn’t he- wait, you did let him out of the dime, right?”

“Of course I did! But he’s in no state to coordinate organized rebellion!” Magica took a deep breath before continuing. “Listen, what I’m saying is I need you to break into the manor to stop a possible uprising against me.”

Lena had to take a few seconds to process. “So, you’re saying. . .” 

“Yes, yes! I’m giving you your freedom, as I promised, remember? You can leave the tower.” Magica finished her sentence for her. 

A dam of overwhelming, uncontrollable joy broke inside of Lena before she remembered. 

The triplets. How could she leave them behind?

“But I’ll still have to come back to check on the boys,” Lena added, more for herself.

Magica let out a mirthless laugh. “Don’t be so sentimental. I thought you were above having a soft spot for three bothersome ducklings.”

“Whatever,” Lena shook her head. “When can I leave?” 

“Whenever you’re ready,” Magica pulled her robes in front of her beak. “And by that I mean within the next forty-eight hours! This is dire; I can’t have my perfect revenge sabotaged!”

And with that, she left in a fit of purple smoke. 

A few hours later, the sun had left the lonely tower in darkness. Lena was tucking Huey, Dewey, and Louie into bed. They all were much more relaxed now that it was just the four of them again. 

“So what did Aunt Magica want?” Dewey asked. 

Lena’s eyes widened, not sure of what she’d been expecting. She was going to have to break the news to them at some point. 

“Well, she told me I have to leave the tower, to go fight off the scary shadows. Remember what I told you about them?”

Silence. Then Louie piped up. “Are you being sarcastic?” 

“Like a joke?” Huey inquired. 

“On our birthday, of all days?” Dewey gasped dramatically. 

“N-no. I’m serious. I have to leave.” Lena’s heart shattered as the waterworks started falling. “But it’s only to protect you! I’ll come back, I promise. This won’t be forever.”

But you promised you’d always stay with us,” Huey reminded her tearfully. 

“You already broke a promise!” Louie sobbed. “How do we know you’ll come back?”

Dewey wiped his eyes, sniffling. “Take us with you!”

Lena sorrowfully closed her eyes. “You have to stay here, Dew, you know that. It’s the safest place for you three. And now, I’m going to protect you by fighting the shadows  _ outside _ of the tower.” 

“No! No! You can’t!” Louie screamed.

“How will we make it on our own? How will I keep the tower from setting on fire, or exploding, or-” Huey cut himself off as he and Louie clutched each other, bursting into another round of tears. 

Dewey said nothing, which was scary enough on its own.

Seeing the triplets in such distress was heartbreaking, and Lena had to make it stop. She couldn’t bear to see them so sad. 

“Fine! I won’t leave, okay?”

“Really?” Louie sniffed. 

“I’ll stay. It’s okay, you guys, it’s okay,” Lena wiped away their tears and tucked them back into bed. 

She stayed with them until they fell asleep, engraving their peaceful little faces into her mind's eye. 

_ I’m a horrible person. I lied to them.  _ Lena berated herself as she sat with her legs dangling over the window and into the open air.  _ But I also need to protect them. And the best way to do that is by listening to Aunt Magica.  _

It was the first time Lena had used her magic outside of the tower in a decade. She could feel the grass again! She couldn’t help but bound through the woods.

Unbelievable! She really did get her freedom, in a way. 

As Lena neared Duckburg, she became thankful the only ones she loved were locked away in a tower. 

The city had been ravaged by shadows. They lurked in the dark and watched her with red piercing eyes. Magica most definitely held all of the power.

It was  déjà vu. Lena found herself in the same place, for the third time. Lena stood in front of the shadow-ridden McDuck Manor, ready to infiltrate. 


	5. Friends With Her Own Shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here is the next chapter! I've never written from Webby's point of view, so I gave it my best go.   
> Thank you for all of the kudos and reviews, I really appreciate it!
> 
> I hope you enjoy. :)

Webby Vanderquack liked to think she was happy. She lived in a cozy mansion with her granny, and had become quite skilled in self defense. There were endless amounts of books (and mysteries) to keep her entertained.

And she couldn’t forget the best part; living with the famed Scrooge McDuck! 

Unfortunately, Webby only had old tales to go off of. Scrooge was no longer the skilled globetrotting adventurer she had read about. 

Nope. He was basically a zombie. And he barely acknowledged Webby, who would have been eager to listen to him. 

Scrooge aimlessly walked the halls of his mansion, with droopy eyes and no end goal in sight. There had only been one day he’d talked to Webby, and it had simultaneously been the best and worst moment of her life. 

_ “Mr. Scrooge, can I get you some tea? Or some pizza?” Webby had asked him, not expecting an answer. And yes, pizza deliveries stopped for no one. Not even the apocalypse.  _

_ Then Scrooge’s eyes suddenly cleared, and he looked. . . trapped. His beak shook for a moment as his gaze darted side to side. It was horrifying. He was acting as if he was scared of being inside his own body, like he didn’t know how to control it.  _

_ Scrooge paused and stared directly at Webby, which was something he’d never done before. A surprising clarity glistened in his eyes as he spoke. “Webby, you need to escape.” _

_ Webby’s heart stopped. And oddly enough, she was filled with joy.  _ He knows my name!  _ she’d thought.  _

_ “My family is. . . the kids are-” Scrooge didn’t finish his sentence as some invisible force seized him. Scrooge heaved a long sigh and turned back into his usual zombielike state. _

_ Webby’s heart thumped loudly inside her chest. She couldn’t believe it. For a second, Scrooge had overcome whatever was controlling him, in an effort to warn Webby.  _

Webby had tried to get Scrooge back that day, but he had said nothing else to her. Years had passed, and he had never been that aware of himself again.

The whole ordeal had solidified one thing for Webby; Scrooge was definitely under a spell. That was the only explanation for why someone who was said to be tougher, smarter, and sharper than the rest would act the way he did. The worst part of it all was that everyone needed Scrooge McDuck now more than ever.

For her entire life, Webby had known that shadows swarmed outside the mansion, and that it was Magica de Spell who’d put them there. 

But she wasn’t afraid of magic. (More fascinated, actually) Her granny had taught her how to fight off any enemy, and Webby felt pretty confident in her ability. 

Besides, living with shadows wasn’t so bad. Webby was rather lonely as the only kid in the mansion, so she considered her shadow to be her best friend. 

Webby’s shadow followed her most places, and made for good conversation. Whenever Webby went out to train on the front lawn, she would be swarmed by glowing shadows. Her shadow was the one to ward them off, allowing her to practice in peace.

Webby was thankful for that, since she didn’t get out of the mansion often. And even if the sky was blood red, she still wanted to enjoy the great outdoors. 

Webby’s shadow was the greatest partner she could ask for, even if it tried to sabotage her with a death trap every once in a while. 

But that was just girls stuff! And their friendly games were nothing Webby wasn’t prepared for.

Webby’s shadow was more loyal than her granny’s shadow, who was never home. Her shadow even watched her pour over the biggest mystery of her lifetime - the disappearance of Scrooge’s family. 

The McDuck/Duck Family was gigantic from what Webby had gathered from their family tree. Yet they were nowhere to be found. 

Webby had hyperfixated her search onto the family members related closest to Scrooge. 

Donald and Della Duck. Twins. They were the children of Hortense McDuck, sister to Scrooge McDuck.

The two of them had been missing for as long as Webby had been in the mansion. There were barely any leads for as to where they might’ve gone. The only clues she had were the two pictures.

One was of Scrooge, posing in front of what looked to be a rocket ship. 

The second, a picture of Scrooge, Donald, and Della, clustered around three eggs. 

And written on the back of that photo, with scribbled writing, was a date and the words  _ Huey, Dewey, and Louie. _

Beyond that, Webby’s hunt for answers had come up short. She knew that the missing triplets were about her age. But she didn’t know their location. Assuming Della was their mother, the three boys must be with her, right?

Was Scrooge’s family lost somewhere, together? Had they run away from Duckburg because of the shadows?

No, the Duck Family would never desert each other. 

Webby was valiant in her search and refused to give up. Something very personal to Scrooge had happened ten years ago, leading him into an isolation that allowed Magica to take control.

So Webby had to find out. Because surely only Scrooge was capable of defeating Magica, and freeing the city from her spell. 

Of course, there could only be one logical reason as to why he hadn’t already.

Scrooge needed his family. 

And Webby would find them. The drive she felt fueled her through everything she did. 

So, Webby had gotten used to her routine. The mansion was her home; it protected her from the dangerous world outside, as her granny always said. Even if the shadows got to her, she’d be able to fend them off. 

Webby had given herself a purpose - to reunite Scrooge with his family. The young duckling had always expected to fulfill this purpose alone, so imagine her surprise when she came face to face with someone new. 

She was a little older than Webby, with a purple amulet tucked close to her chest and a pinkish streak in her hair. The stranger had seemingly materialized in front of her, although Webby suspected she’d snuck in. But how? The mansion had countless security measures in place. 

“Who are you? Did someone send you?” Webby blurted out. Her instincts told her to attack, so she immediately sprung at the intruder, pinning her arms to ground.

“Lena. And I heard there was a rebellion?” she sighed, as if being there was a chore. Lena was also rather unfazed, despite having just been attacked.

Rebellion? Thousands of questions washed into Webby’s mind like a monsoon. And Lena didn’t look like any shadow she’d seen, so maybe she wasn’t dangerous. Although her amulet raised some suspicion. 

Still, if Lena was asking about a rebellion, then she definitely wanted to take down Magica, same as Webby. Webby decided it was safe enough to let Lena up. 

“Not here! But I wish! I want to defeat Magica, too. Ooooh! Maybe  _ we  _ could start a rebellion together!” she exclaimed cheerily. This was the first person her age she had ever talked to! As well as the third person she’d ever met! Webby really didn’t want to screw this up.

Lena cocked her head, confused. “So there isn’t any rebellion? What are you doing here, then?”

Webby bounced up and down. “Well, my granny was hired for upkeep, but I mostly train. I also. . . wait, can I tell you a secret?”

“I love secrets,” Lena smiled. 

“Great! Follow me!” Webby was ecstatic. Maybe Lena could help with the mystery, since finding Scrooge’s family seemed like the city’s best bet. 

Webby led Lena to her room, and kicked down her billboard that depicted all known information of the Duck Family. She was rather proud of it, actually.

“Woah,” Lena gasped, her eyes going as wide as the moon. “What is this?”

“The greatest mystery of our lifetimes! I’ve been trying to figure out what happened to Scrooge’s family. Maybe with their help we  _ could _ actually have a rebellion. I’m Webby, by the way!”

“Cool. So what do you know?”

“I’m so glad you asked!” Webby squealed, then proceeded to rant for about ten minutes.

Once Webby finally stopped to take a breather, Lena only blinked at her.

“Too much?” Webby deflated sadly, realizing she had a tendency to ramble. 

“That was. . . a lot of information,” Lena murmured, focusing on the picture of the triplets’ eggs. Then she shook her head and turned away from the photo.

“But I get it. You’re right, finding them could help with a rebellion.”

“So, are we friends now?” Webby asked hopefully. She’d never had a friend besides her own shadow.

“Sure,” Lena chuckled, making Webby’s heart soar. But before Webby could continue talking with her, and maybe make the rebellion a reality, she was gone.

Just like that. Poof. Right in front of her, Lena disappeared. 

Webby glanced around in confusion, scratching her head. Then she shrugged it off. Webby was odd, too, and liked herself that way.

_ Oh, well,  _ she thought as she began to rove the halls.  _ Just another mystery to add to the list.  _

Although Webby truly did hope to see Lena again. Having someone, a  _ real  _ someone and not just a fragmented shadow, to listen to her had filled Webby with overwhelming delight.

It was the first time Webby had wondered if going at things alone wasn’t the best way forward. Maybe she’d benefit from having a best friend to help her.

As if the day hadn’t been monumental enough, Webby was intercepted by  _ another  _ new face in the mansion. This was amazing! Who knew talking to other people could fill her with so much serotonin? 

This time the stranger was a purple hummingbird who looked to be the same age as her. Webby was still bewildered as to how she (and Lena) had gotten in, but that was an issue for future Webby. 

“Are you Webbigail Vanderquack?” the hummingbird asked. 

“Yeah! How’d you know?” Webby chose not to attack this time, since talking to Lena had gone fine. 

“I am Violet Sabrewing,” she ignored Webby’s question. “And I have come to recruit you into the rebellion.” 

“The rebellion? So it really does exist! Lena is going to be sooo excited!”

“Who is Lena?”

“You just missed her, actually. She wanted to know if  _ I  _ knew about a rebellion! And now you’re here, so this is perfect!”

Violet’s brow furrowed. “I have heard of no such name trying to enter our ranks. But that is besides the point. I have seen you fight out on the lawn, and would like to invite you to join us.”

“You’ve seen me fight?” Webby realized the shadows weren’t the only ones watching her when she left the mansion.

“Yes. I believe you would be a valuable asset.”

“So, tell me about the rebellion! Are you guys roughing it out in the apocalypse? Oh! Do you take blood oaths? Because I’ll gladly take a blood oath and sacrifice myself.” 

“We are an underground network of those who want to start an uprising against Magica’s reign. We have only existed for a couple months, but I have been spreading the word about you. I believe you will play a critical role in helping us. Not only are you skilled, but you live with Scrooge McDuck and could enlist his help.”

“Oh, uh, I don’t know. Scrooge doesn’t really talk to me. I think he’s under a spell.”

“Do not worry. I am well versed in many forms of magic, given the state of our city. So, what do you say? Will you join the rebellion?”

“Of course I want to be in your rebellion!” Webby cried. “Can I tell my granny about this? She taught me everything I know.”

“Not yet. She needs to be cleared first.” Violet held out her hand to shake, and Webby took it. 

“I am ecstatic you have joined our forces, Webbigail. You will hear from me soon,” Violet smiled, and then left down the hall, presumably leaving the way she came.

Webby felt like she was floating. She was alone again now, but filled with a newfound purpose. Maybe Scrooge wasn’t their only hope. Maybe with Lena and Violet’s help, Webby really could change things for the better.

Perhaps today would go down as the best day of Webby’s life. She had two new best friends!


	6. Confrontations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you for all of the reviews and kudos!
> 
> I hope you enjoy -

Dewey hated the tower. He hated being stuck inside when there was a whole world out there waiting. He had dreams of being a swashbuckling adventurer who conquered every adversity thrown at him. Of traveling the globe. . . and being happy for once.

But that wasn’t reality. 

Reality for him and his brothers was being locked up in a tower. And apparently the only reason for it was to protect them from danger. 

That’s what Magica said, and Dewey  _ despised  _ her with every ounce of his being. However, it was what Lena said too.

Dewey used to trust everything Lena told him. Because Lena was family; she took care of him. 

Now, not so much. She’d betrayed them all. Lena had promised she’d stay, but had left anyway. That simple action was enough to convince Dewey that his brothers were all he had, the only ones he could trust. 

Unfortunately, Dewey couldn’t get through to either of them. Mainly Huey. Especially Huey. 

Huey and Louie didn’t seem to care that their current quality of life was downright depressing. Dewey told them how much he hated being cooped up, and how he wanted to scream bloody murder at every waking moment. How he always had the urge to move, to run far, far away. 

Perhaps Louie was just indifferent. He usually stayed out of the other two’s disputes. The youngest triplet was pretty laid back, and would probably be content with sleeping most of his life away. 

Even so, Dewey knew that if both him and Huey agreed, Louie would go along with it. 

Yet Dewey could never crack the conundrum that was his older brother. He knew Huey was pretty smart, considering he had read every single book in the tower. But, well, Huey’s worldview was kind of warped.

In his defense, living in a tower did not earn you a lot of life experience points. Despite this, Dewey and Louie still knew bad people existed. (Heck, the whole world was apparently getting eaten by shadows, as they were told.  _ And  _ they were constantly punished by Magica’s existence.)

It was as if Huey was determined to see the best in everyone. To believe the world was more lighthearted then it actually was. That belief was enough to convince himself that not breaking out of the tower was the right thing to do.

Given the bleakness of pretty much everything around them, Dewey didn’t see the appeal. So, that made it extra hard to convince Huey that it was time to follow in their dear old sister’s footsteps and skedaddle.

The triplets had been alone for three days now. Lena had definitely abandoned them. But every time Dewey tried to get his brothers to acknowledge this, the same conversation played out. Although that still didn’t stop him from trying again. 

“You guys know Lena’s not coming back, right?” Dewey piped up hopefully. Huey was preparing lunch while he and Louie waited at the table. 

“I dunno,” Louie sighed, pulling at the feathers around his eyes. “She really likes breaking her promises. Maybe we’re just better off dying alone.” 

“No one’s going to die! We’ll be fine, we have everything we need,” Huey reassured them.

“And what do you think? About Lena deserting us?” Dewey pressed, knowing full well that Huey hadn’t changed his mind. 

“She didn’t desert us. She made a promise.”

“By  _ breaking  _ her first promise!”

“Yeah, but I don’t think she left on purpose. Maybe Magica forced her to.” Huey closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. “Because Lena promised,” he reiterated.

Dewey groaned. “No! Neither of you get it! Promises don’t count for anything! Lena never cared about us, so she finally left for good!”

Huey’s expression was blank. “Lena still cares. Dewey, you know she loves all of us.”

Silence stretched out between them as Dewey caught his breath. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt upon seeing Louie’s wide, sad eyes. 

Then, shockingly enough, Louie actually spoke. “Maybe Dewey’s right. . . and Lena did leave for real.” 

“Lena didn’t abandon us for good. She meant to stay and she’ll come back,” Huey replied calmly. 

Dewey clenched his fists. “Fine! Whatever you need to say to convince yourself. But I really think it’s about time we leave.”

“Leave?” Louie cried out in surprise. Huey said nothing, and only looked confused. 

“Yes, leave! I’m sick of this tower! Both Magica and Lena are liars, so we have no reason to keep listening to them.”

“They’re not liars!” Huey protested. “They’re our family. Families trust each other.”

“No,” Dewey sighed, growing exasperated. He was amping himself up, and would lose his brother’s attention if he went too far. “Please Huey, just listen. Look where we are. Do you seriously want to live here for the rest of your life?”

Huey glanced away, his expression revealing him to be deep in thought. Finally, he spoke again. “Of course not. But it would be unwise to leave now, with the whole world overrun with shadows.”

For Dewey, that was the exact reason he wanted to leave. Danger most often meant adventure. But Huey wasn’t done speaking. 

“I understand where you’re coming from Dewey. And you may be willing to leave this place behind, but I can’t. Not yet, at least. I won’t turn my back on the ones who’ve raised us.”

Dewey deflated at that, accepting that the conversation was over. It was true that he thought about escaping at least ten times a day. But Dewey would never really leave if his brothers weren’t coming with him.

Later that night, the triplets were stargazing. They longingly watched the vast night sky through the window.

It was the only window in their tower. Their portal to the outside world, if they would ever take it. The stars were everywhere. Even people outside the tower got to see them.

When he squinted, Dewey could see a faint red streak off in the distance, splashed across the sky like blood. Dewey wondered if that was where the shadows were, and how long it would take for him to get there. 

However, it was a surprising sight to spot Magica  _ and  _ Lena trekking across the night and coming towards the tower. They appeared to be floating in orbs.

That was the main way Magica got around. Magic. She probably didn’t even need to walk.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie hastily moved out of the way so the two could enter the tower easily.

“Lena!” Huey and Louie exclaimed. Dewey said nothing, determined to give her the cold shoulder. Did she expect him to suck up to her after leaving so carelessly? 

Lena seemed rather joyful upon seeing them again, but said nothing. Magica was guiding her off to another room, pushing away the triplets and rudely saying, “Move, you wretched gremlins.”

Huey and Louie were quite submissive, because they were terrified of the sorceress. Dewey just glared at her. He hated Magica with a burning passion. If she actually “cared” about them, she had a funny way of showing it.

After a few minutes of what was probably a high-stakes and dramatic conversation, Magica and Lena came back. Well, Magica immediately left. But who needed her? 

Huey and Louie abruptly ran into Lena’s arms, while Dewey watched them, stone faced. “Oh, you guys,” she murmured. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Louie was the first to break from the hug. “Why’d you leave? You broke your promise. Again.”

Lena gazed at him sadly. “I know, and I’m sorry. But I had to go.”

Louie didn’t look totally satisfied with that answer. Dewey definitely wasn’t.

“Did you destroy all of the shadows?” Louie asked.

“No. But I made good progress.”

“Are you going to stay here now?” Huey inquired. 

“I’ll. . . I’ll try. But look! You three were completely fine without me.”

“I guess it wasn’t as scary as I thought.”

“See? I knew you could hold down the fort, little man!” 

Lena leaned in to hug Huey and Louie again. Once she’d let go, she turned to Dewey. “How about you, bud? Are you doing alright?”

“Fine,” Dewey told her through clenched teeth. Even though he definitely was not  _ deweying  _ alright. 

Lena didn’t seem to dwell on Dewey’s tension, because she had already pulled out a small stack of books. “Here, I brought you these.”

Huey graciously took them. “Cool! More books!” he exclaimed. He and Louie then raced up the stairs and up to bed to read, with Lena following close behind. Dewey was slow to catch up. 

Dewey knew why his brothers were so ecstatic. Not only had Lena returned, but she’d brought new entertainment. Still, were a few old books enough to make them forget she’d lied right to their faces? How could Huey and Louie let her off the hook so easily? 

The story they chose to read that night was a tale of Scrooge McDuck. Dewey had never heard of him before, but already knew he wanted to be exactly like him. The story depicted him as the greatest adventurer of all time. He was tougher than the toughies, smarter than the smarties, and sharper than the sharpies. 

Dewey bet that the outside world would really appreciate some Scrooge McDuck action right about now.

After the story was finished, Lena told them it was time for bed. But unbeknownst to the others, Dewey had noticed something. Well, Huey had noticed something, and Dewey had noticed him noticing. But it was the same thing, really. 

Written inside the cover were the stamped on words, “Property of Scrooge McDuck.”

So, Scrooge was real? He wasn’t just a fictional character from some adventure story for little kids? And if Lena had his book, then had she talked to him? 

As Lena tucked them in, Dewey began to grow suspicious of where she’d really been the past few days. 

Dewey was a pretty light sleeper, so it was no surprise when he was awoken by a thump in the middle of the night. 

Beside him, Huey and Louie were still out cold. So he made sure to be extra careful and quiet as he slid out of bed. 

The tower was dead silent, and all he could hear was his hushed breathing and rhythmic heartbeat. Dewey tread lightly as he went down the stairs, unsure of what to expect. 

In his somewhat groggy state, it took Dewey a second to register who had awoken him. Right in front of his very eyes, was Lena. And she looked about ready to leave.

“What’re you doing?” he whispered, forgetting to be angry. It had only been a few hours since she’d returned and tried to bribe them, after all. 

“Dewey!” Lena jumped in surprise. “I’m going to, um, to help with the rebellion.”

“Rebellion?” Dewey asked quizzically. They both made sure to keep a hushed tone so they wouldn’t wake the other two.

“Yes. I joined the rebellion to fight against the shadows. That’s why I left, to protect you three,” Lena explained.

“That can’t be your reason for everything!” Dewey snapped.

“What do you mean?”

Dewey only responded with another question, which was more of a Huey thing to do. “Are you really going to come back this time? You’re leaving already. Again.”

Dewey’s words were bitter, but he felt hollow inside. He desperately wanted Lena to tell him she was never going to leave him behind again. But that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. 

“I, well I, um, no,” Lena fumbled. “No, I’m not going to come back for a long time. I. . . have some things to take care of first before I can.”

Boiling anger immediately swelled up inside of him. “I knew it! You’re a liar! Do you care about us at all?”

Lena recoiled, clearly stung. Tears began to well up in her eyes. “Dewey, you and your brothers are the only ones I’ve ever cared about.”

Dewey was determined not to feel sad, and only to keep kindling his fire of rage. “So why are we stuck in this stupid tower?”

Lena shook her head regrettably. “Because, I had to take you here,” she murmured. Unfortunately, she didn’t elaborate. 

Dewey backed away and crossed his arms. “Have fun on your little adventure, then.”

Lena neared the window, and began to surround herself with an orb. She stared into Dewey’s eyes as she said her parting words. “I will come back, because you three are all that matters to me.”

And then she turned away and deserted him. Leaving Dewey to wonder why he would ever believe her.


	7. A Rebellion Doomed to Fail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving. :)  
> And thank you so much for all of the reviews and kudos, I really appreciate it!
> 
> Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy - -

_ “And if you ever want to return to this tower and see the little twerps again, you’ll destroy her.” _

Magica’s awful words filled Lena with dread. But she had no choice other than obeying her Aunt’s demands. Even if they were incredibly cruel.

Yet Lena was willing to do anything, no matter how atrocious, to protect the triplets. It certainly wasn’t ideal to leave them alone and defenseless, but Lena had had no say in the matter. All she could do was secure their safety by following through. 

_ What if Magica hurts them?  _ Lena quickly shoved the thought away, not wanting to dwell on the prospect, and knowing full well that it was possible. 

As she made her way towards Duckburg, she couldn’t help but beat herself up about what she should have said. Perhaps she could’ve been more cryptic, and not have openly admitted that Webby was the rebellion’s best shot. 

Because by saying that, she had only secured Webby’s fate. Yes, vile as it was, Lena had been tasked with killing her. 

Magica was absolutely convinced that taking out Webby would end the rebellion and leave Scrooge isolated. No rebellion would mean no uprising, and Magica living out her happy little revenge dreams for the rest of time. 

For Lena, taking out an innocent meant she could continue to protect her family. She had to keep them out of harm’s way, and unfortunately, murder was the only way she could fulfill that. 

But she was the living shadow of Magica de Spell! Destroying Webby would be easy, right?

Right?

Of course. This would be a piece of cake. Telling Dewey she would always come back to him, even though she continued to let him down had definitely been easy.

So now all that was left to do was join the rebellion. A rebellion doomed to fail. 

It was still almost effortless for Lena to break into the McDuck Manor. Within minutes, she’d found Webby. 

The young duckling had been surveying her gigantic research board of Scrooge’s family. She didn’t seem at all surprised when Lena showed up, and turned to her, delighted. “Lena! You came back!”

Just hearing Webby speak felt like a sucker punch to the gut. Lena hadn’t actually spoken to her at all in the last few days. Although when she’d “left” Webby, she hadn’t really left, and had continued to shadow her. 

Lena had watched as the hummingbird called Violet invited her to the actual rebellion, and secretly followed Webby on the adventures of solving her mystery. 

Webby was quirky and skilled and ecstatic about everything life threw at her, and Lena could see why she was valuable to the rebellion. Webby was a bright spot in a dark, defeated world. 

That was the worst part. Webby reminded her of the boys. (And Dewey most of all.)

But now here she was, finally face to face with the one she was supposed to mercilessly kill. Lena had to say something before it came awkward. “Webby! Hi! Um, what’re you doing?”

“Oh, just putting some finishing touches on this file since we have to go soon. It’s on the disappearance of Della and Donald Duck!” Webby suddenly saddened as she went on. “A fascinating case, with only two pieces of evidence that barely count as leads.”

“You’ll crack it some day. In the meantime, we’ve got a rebellion to join!” Lena changed the subject.

Webby grinned. “This is going to be so exciting! Violet will come to get us soon. She’s the one who came and invited me, by the way.” 

Lena gave her a thumbs-up. She had already cast a spell that allowed her to join the rebellion with no questions asked, so that know-it-all wouldn’t be causing her any problems. 

When Violet finally did show up, she announced her presence rather unceremoniously by saying, “I am here right on time.”

“Ooooh Violet! You’re finally going to bring us to the rebellion’s secret headquarters, right?” Webby squealed excitedly. 

“I am, but I ask that you please keep your voice down, as this is a confidential meeting.”

“Right, sorry,” Webby whispered. “This is Lena, the one I was telling you about. She wants to join too.”

“She has been cleared,” Violet assented. Lena was satisfied that her spell had been successful. “Although we are still working on your grandmother. We have found  _ a lot  _ of intriguing information regarding her. Nothing alarming, of course.”

“Great!” Webby was practically vibrating. “Can you show us the secret place now?”

Violet stiffly nodded. “Yes. We shall be going now, but it will require going outside of the mansion, if that is alright with you.”

“Fantastic! Let’s go out and enjoy the apocalypse!” Webby cheered, completely genuine. If Lena had said it, she definitely would’ve sounded sarcastic. 

“Do not worry, we will not be unarmed. I am capable of enough magic to keep the shadows away.”

_ Good for you! I’m a literal shadow who knows more magic than you ever will, and you haven’t been able to keep me away, so nice try!  _ Lena taunted Violet in her mind, irked by the girl’s obnoxious perfection. 

Violet led them away from the mansion and through the worn out streets of Duckburg. To Lena’s displeasure, Violet had in fact been able to keep the shadow’s at bay.

Webby seemed enthralled with her surroundings, and rightfully so. She hadn’t really left the mansion for much of her life, which Lena could relate to, at least for the last ten years. 

“This is it,” Violet said, stopping in front of a boring looking sewer cover. 

“Gross,” Lena commented, while Webby simultaneously said, “Awesome!”

Violet shushed them while she inspected the area, most likely looking for any eavesdroppers. Then, she lifted the hatch and motioned for them to start climbing down the rusty old ladder.

“This is great! We’re sneaking around in an authentic and stinking sewer. . . it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed!” Webby squealed as Violet led them further down a series of tunnels. 

“So far we have been able to keep a low profile. But the rebellion has been rapidly growing, which only increases the likeliness of being found out. Consider yourselves lucky to have been trusted,” Violet informed, turning another corner. A line of torches dimly lit their path, burning all across the arched stone walls. 

After a few more minutes of meandering, they finally reached their destination. It was only accessible through a crumbly hole in the wall that spit them out at a secret door. 

“Here we are. The headquarters of the rebellion,” Violet motioned for Webby and Lena to enter. Multiple curious heads immediately turned upon their arrival. The room was surprisingly silent, and most of the members were gathered around a circular table. Lena spotted a few bunks built into the wall, and realized a few of the rebels must live in headquarters full time. 

“Hello everyone, this is Webbigail and Lena. I am certain they will both prove valuable to our operation,” Violet introduced her companions to the group.

No one said anything at first. Then a small gray parrot gleefully came up to them and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Boyd! A definitely real boy!”

“Hi Boyd, I’m Webby!” Webby bounced up and down eagerly. “This is the best day of my life!”

“Wow! You’re the happiest person I’ve ever met! I’m looking forward to working with you in the future,” Boyd replied, his yellow eyes bright. 

Lena said nothing during the exchange, opting to observe instead. At first she found it odd that Boyd had clarified he was ‘definitely real’ and that he spoke so punctually for a kid his age. But she soon disregarded her suspicion, since Huey sometimes talked like that too. 

Webby suddenly stopped her conversation with Boyd, and let out a little noise of delight. “Oh my gosh! You’re Fethry Duck, aren’t you?”

She was referring to a duck dressed in red and yellow, wearing an interesting expression. He was separated from the main group, and seemed a little sad.

“Yeah, that’s me!” Fethry answered, adjusting his beanie. 

“But-but how is that possible? I thought all of Scrooge’s family was gone!”

“I don’t know where everyone went. . . haven’t seen Donald and Della in a while. Or Gladstone. I really do miss them.” When Fethry spoke he sounded happy, but everything underneath was laced with sorrow. Lena couldn’t help but feel for the eccentric duck.

Although it was definitely a little awkward being so close to one of the triplet’s relatives. 

“A lot of the Duck Family disappeared right around the time Magica came into power. But I’ve been searching for them!” Webby went on, trying to brighten the mood. “So how did you end up here?”

“Oh, well, I used to work down in the sublab, but then a nice little hummingbird came and invited me to this club.”

“That was me,” Violet interjected. “But, as you all know, Webbigail here has a direct connection to Scrooge McDuck.”

The crowd around the table were very intrigued about that. Lena, Webby and Violet took a seat next to them. The group seemed to be planning something big.

“Yes, yes, that’s all well and good. But I thought we were supposed to be finding a way to incorporate that knowledge into our plan?” said a chicken who Violet told them was named Dr. Gyro Gearloose. He had a little bulb robot perched on his shoulder. “Also, Violet I thought you were going to be more cautious, considering your parents-”

“My fathers are off on an incognito mission. They know I am capable, so there is nothing to worry about,” Violet finished for the scientist.

“And what  _ is  _ the plan?” Lena asked, realizing it was the first thing she’d said since arriving. 

Before anyone could answer, someone new was bursting through the door. “Sorry I’m late! I crashed the Sunchaser, so it took me a while to get here!” he panted. The duck was rather hefty and wore a pilot’s outfit. 

A headless man-horse clopped something in response. Unfortunately, Lena didn’t speak morse, so she could only assume he meant something along the lines of,  _ every darn time  _ or  _ I don’t get paid enough for this.  _

“That’s alright, Launchpad! At least everyone’s here now,” a Hispanic duck reassured the pilot. He was Fenton, from what Violet whispered to Lena and Webby. “Anyways, as Lena was asking, the plan only will only work during the upcoming eclipse.”

“Using Scrooge’s Number One Dime, theoretically, we should be able to drain Magica de Spell of all of her power,” Gyro continued. 

Lena’s heart lurched in her chest at that statement. This rebellion wasn’t messing around. And what would happen to her if Magica lost her magic? Would she simply cease to exist? 

“And since Mr. McDuck is most likely under a spell, it would be helpful to have him present. Perhaps we could undo the trance he’s in by reversing the effects of whatever curse Magica’s cast on him,” cut in Officer Cabrera, who looked to be Fenton’s mother. 

“I don’t know, Scrooge is basically a zombie. And I’m not sure if destroying Magica would put him out of whatever spell he’s under,” Webby pondered.

“But you could still try to get him to work with us, right?” Officer Cabrera asked kindly. 

“Of course I’ll try!” Webby replied optimistically. 

Lena momentarily blocked out the discussion happening in front of her. This was awful. The rebellion had a plan, which was backed by many seemingly smart people. 

She had to ask herself if she actually  _ did  _ want the rebellion to succeed in defeating her Aunt. 

Short answer? No. If Lena ever wanted to see Huey, Dewey, and Louie again, she had to thwart the operation.

Lena focused on Webby, but didn’t really hear her speaking. She was still lost in thought. After all this, Lena could certainly see why the rebellion wanted Webby on their side.

And it was a shame that Lena had begun to consider her a friend. 


	8. Della and Donald VS The Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! Here is the newest chapter. It doesn't perfectly line up chronologically with the timeline of the previous chapters, but is still happening pretty currently, if that makes sense.
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for all of the reviews and kudos, I really appreciate all of them!   
> I hope you enjoy --

The Spear of Selene collided into the moon with a mighty crash. Della and Donald violently thrashed around as they made impact.

When the rocket ship finally stilled, it had been wedged deeply into the rock. Both were unconscious.

It wasn’t until nearly twenty-four hours later that Donald awoke. He immediately gasped for air, and desperately popped a piece of Gyro’s Oxy-Chew into his mouth. 

He still felt a little lightheaded as he took in all of his surroundings. The moon was nothing but a gray, barren landscape dotted with craters. And he was definitely stranded.

But it wasn’t just him stuck there, it was Della too! All at once, Donald felt a wave of anger overtake him. Della’s rash behavior had landed them both on the moon!

Then he noticed Della was still unconscious. She lay a few feet away from him, and had her left leg pinned underneath a large section of the rocket. 

“Della!” Donald yowled, rushing over to her with his anger forgotten. He shook his sister, and when that didn’t work, he took off her helmet. 

Jolted out of her unconscious state, Della spluttered and choked. Although Donald was prepared and swiftly gave her Oxy-Chew. 

After Della stopped  _ dying _ , the first words she said were, “Ugh! Black licorice?” 

Donald let out a sigh of relief. “Good. You’re okay.”

Della blinked, seemingly having to take a moment to process where she was just as Donald had. Then she smiled at her brother. “Of course! Nothing can stop Della Duck!”

Della grunted, focusing on her trapped leg and trying to tug it free. Donald helped, but their efforts were to no avail. The twins took a break, realizing what needed to be done.

They both found themselves staring at the distant blue dot in the dark sky. Yeah. It wasn’t going to be easy to get back to Earth. The Spear was basically in shambles. 

“Aw phooey,” Della and Donald said simultaneously. 

That had been a decade ago. Presently, the twins were still roughing it out on the moon. They hadn’t been able to successfully rebuild the ship and make it functional, or find any gold. 

Most would’ve probably given up by now, under the current circumstances. But Donald and Della persisted.

What fueled them? Their family. 

The two were willing to do virtually anything and defy all the odds thrown at them, just to be reunited with their family again.

At least that’s how Della usually saw it. Now she wasn’t so sure, but she was allowed to have a moment of self doubt, right? 

It just all seemed so impossible. . . even for  _ her _ . The Spear of Selene could only be fixed with gold, which they didn’t have. She wondered if they would run out of Oxy-Chew anytime soon. And to top it all off, that stupid moon mite kept attacking.

But Della couldn’t give up, because she needed to be with her boys. Ten years they’d gone living without her, not knowing how much she loved them. Ten years and she’d never even seen their faces.

So, Della decided to confide in Donald, since that was really her only option. 

“How are you so okay with this, all of the time?” Della asked a few hours later while they were both in the shelter. She sat in a chair, aimlessly flipping through her old JWG. 

Donald looked up from what he was working on, somewhat confused. “Well, I guess I’m used to being unlucky. This’ll probably be nothing in the grand scheme of my life.”

“But you just- you never seem bothered! Which is actually remarkable considering your anger issues. . . What I mean is that it’s like you’re confident we’ll find a way home.”

“We will get home, Della. I promise we’ll find a way.”

Della suddenly couldn’t take it anymore. “Oh, Donald, I want to be with the kids so bad! I miss them and I haven’t even met them. I miss Uncle Scrooge. I miss everybody.”

“I miss our family too,” Donald murmured, his expression turning somber. 

“Even Gladstone?” Della poked, trying to lighten the mood in an attempt to be more like her usual self. 

“Even Gladstone,” Donald jokingly rolled his eyes. “But it really will be okay. And you don’t have to worry about Huey, Dewey, and Louie,” Donald continued. 

He had said their names. Somehow it hurt Della even more to hear their names out loud. It was only another reminder that her children were on Earth, without the mom who should’ve been with them.

“Because Uncle Scrooge is definitely taking good care of them. So we never have to worry.” 

Della sniffed, realizing she had begun crying. “Maybe you would’ve been a better parent than me. I ran away and you’re suffering the consequences.”

“We’re both suffering the consequences, but that’s just life. Everyone makes mistakes, Della. We’re going to get back to them. . . and you can’t discount yourself as a parent. You’ve never had the chance to try. But I still know you’ll be a good mom,” Donald reassured her.

Della gave Donald a big hug after that. Even though he was hard to understand at times, her brother always knew exactly what to say. “Thank you. I’m really glad we have each other while we’re stuck here.”

Suddenly, a tremor shook the room. The twins already knew what it was - that blasted moon mite!

Donald and Della ran outside to face the creature, hoping to once again stop it from stealing something vital to the rocket. However, they weren’t alone.

Two beings that could only be described as aliens, were already attacking the moon mite. They shot what looked like streams of lightning at the monster, and both wore armor made of  _ gold _ . 

“Do not worry, Earthers! We will take care of this!” shouted the taller blue one. 

Della was momentarily speechless. She had so many questions. Had these guys been here the whole time?

“I say we sacrifice them to the beast, then we can destroy it much faster,” chimed the purple alien. The moon mite was putting up quite a fight, and being much more aggressive than Della or Donald had ever seen.

Then the surface abruptly collapsed in on itself as the moon mite dragged the entire rocket ship down. 

“No!” Della and Donald screamed, running after the mite. They desperately began to dig at the spot where the mite and their ship had disappeared into the ground. For a second the siblings almost forgot about the aliens. 

“Explain what you’re doing here!” the purple one demanded gruffly, pointing her gun at them.

“Now, now, Penumbra. The planet moon is perfectly willing to show hospitality.”

“What, the moon’s not a planet,” Della and Donald pointed out together. They were often on the same train of thought. (And other times they  _ definitely  _ weren’t.)

The blue alien ignored the comment. “I am General Lunaris, and this is Lieutenant Penumbra. We are Moonlanders. May I ask what your names are?” 

“Della and Donald!” Della answered, utterly fascinated with these Moonlanders.

“We need to get the Spear back!” Donald burst out, obviously growing impatient as he frantically dug. 

Lunaris and Penumbra were obviously bewildered as they watched her brother. “I’m sorry, what did he say?” Lunaris asked.

“Our rocket!” Della explained for him. “We need to get it back or we won’t be able to go home!”

The ground beneath them opened up once more, swallowing them whole. Della, Donald, and the two Moonlanders fell into some sort of chasm. The Spear was there, currently being eaten by the wretched moon mite. 

Donald began panting, and his face became red. Della knew the look all too well. Donald darted towards the moon mite, subjecting the creature to his infamous temper.

Della almost felt bad for it. 

Lunaris pitched in, shooting his lightning bolt gun at the mite. The moon mite let out a raucous screech as it tried to fend off it’s attackers. And right as the monster lifted up a pincer to take out Lunaris, Della saw the baby.

Della realized she’d always misjudged the monster. No, not a monster. The moon mite was a mother.  _ Just like me,  _ Della thought sadly, unable to stop the sudden compassion that flowed out of her. 

After all this time she and her brother had spent fighting the mite off, the creature had only been trying to take care of her child. Oddly enough, Della couldn’t help but feel a little jealous over the fact. 

“Wait!” Della shouted, trying to stop Donald and Lunaris from attacking. This was all a misunderstanding. However, she was too late.

Right as Della tried to push Lunaris out of the way, the moon mite landed a vicious blow and ate the Moonlander within seconds.

“General!” Penumbra screamed, rushing towards the beast with guns blazing. 

Donald stopped short and Della gasped.  _ Ouch!  _ she thought as she bit down hard on something. And to her surprise, it was her old gold filling that she pulled out.

Gold! Seriously, now? Was this the universe’s way of laughing at her?

“No! Penny stop!” Della exclaimed, holding out her gold tooth. Penumbra simply glared at her and continued firing, undoubtedly fueled by vengeance.

Suddenly, the little tentacle nubs atop the moon mite’s head glowed and gravitated towards Della’s tooth. A light bulb went off in her mind, although it required making quite a sacrifice. 

“I-I think I know a way to calm her down,” Della offered.

Donald, who had now noticed Della’s newfound gold, let out an angry quack. “You’ve had gold this whole time?” he cried, exasperated. 

“She needs it more than us.” Della moved closer to the mite, cautiously holding out the tooth.

“That’s idiotic!” Penumbra snapped. “It’s a beast to be conquered, and nothing else!”

But as the moon mite took the gold from Della’s hands and fed it to her baby, the creature seemed nothing but grateful. Both of the moon mite’s red eyes turned to a soft blue before they dug away deeper.

The three of them were left in silence upon their departure. Donald was the first to speak as he inched closer to Penumbra. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he murmured. 

Penumbra actually understood him this time. “He was a brave General, and I’ll see to it that he’s never forgotten. . . but you two are the ones that surprise me.”

“Surprise you?” Della cocked her head. 

“Of course! I would’ve expected nothing but the worst from two puny Earthers, but you proved me wrong.” Penumbra turned to Della. “You tried to save General Lunaris,  _ and  _ figured out a way to defeat the moon mite. I’ve fought against their kind to protect my people for years.”

Della and Donald didn’t really know what to say, but Penumbra kept going. “I know your rocket is ruined, but I invite you to return with me to Tranquility. I have a lot of work to do now, and can’t deny you two are valuable.”

“Awesome!” Della grinned, although it was more to hide her despair at now having no way to return to Earth.

“We’re valuable?” Donald asked at the same time. 

Tranquility, as it turned out, was hidden on the dark side of the moon. Della always knew they were hiding something. 

Better yet, it was constructed entirely out of  _ gold! _

They were going home! She was ecstatic as she and Donald hastily rebuilt the Spear over the course of about two months. 

And on the morning they were about to finally leave, Penumbra came to their quarters to say goodbye. Only Della was there at the time.

She had been studying the little piece of paper where she’d written down the lyrics to a lullaby. She aimlessly hummed the tune.

It was a lullaby Della had sung to her kids when they were still only eggs. How cool was it that she would finally get to sing to them again?

Sure, they were ten years old now. . . but that wasn’t going to stop her!

“What’s that?” Penumbra questioned from behind.

Della turned to face her friend, delighted at seeing her. “A song I wrote for my boys. They’ll get to hear it soon!”

Penumbra nodded. “Listen Della. . . I wanted to thank you before you and Donald leave.”

“Oooh! Are we getting vulnerable now? Because I’m all for it, Penny.”

Penumbra rolled her eyes. “Of course not. But I wanted to thank you for helping me become a better General for the Moonlanders. And for helping me learn that Earthers can be awesome sometimes.”

Della punched the air joyfully. “We are incredibly awesome!”

“ _ Sometimes!  _ I said sometimes!”

Della paused, realizing she was really going to miss Penny, and ironically, the moon. She had met and befriended a wonderful group of Moonlanders.

“I’ll miss you too, Penny. And thank you! Without you, Donald and I wouldn’t be getting to go home right now.”

And when Della ran to give Penumbra a hug, the Moonlander didn’t instantly reject it as she usually did.

A little while later, Della and Donald were sat inside the Spear of Selene, ready for takeoff. A storm of emotions fluttered inside of Della as she pictured finally seeing her family again.

“Are you ready?” Donald asked her.

“Let’s do this!” Della replied.

Then they shot off into the atmosphere, heading straight for Earth. Della was finally going to see what her babies looked like.


	9. Lena's Weakness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here is the next chapter! It switches between both Webby and Lena's POV.
> 
> Thank you so much for all of the kudos!! :) I also wanted to specially thank everyone who's left a review so far, since I really appreciate the feedback.  
> PerthshireCottage  
> suzieloveships  
> Just_Traaash  
> EmPro8  
> Lomo  
> 3random_shackles3   
> Gintama200
> 
> I really hope you enjoy --

Webby hadn’t expected the mystery to solve itself.  _ The  _ actual Della and Donald Duck had just arrived. They were there. In the mansion!

At first Webby was too flabbergasted to speak. And when the twins told her they’d come home from being stranded on the moon, she was overcome with joy.

“The moon! But- what, how is that, how did you return?” Webby spewed as soon as she found her voice. She had motioned Della and Donald inside rather quickly so the shadows wouldn’t swarm around them.

Instead of answering her questions, Della looked a bit confused. “I’m sorry but, uh, who are you?”

“Did Scrooge move out?” Donald added.

“I’m Webby! My granny’s the housekeeper. And yes! Scrooge is still here,” Webby trailed off a bit awkwardly. 

“Can we see him?” Della asked.

Webby nodded and led them to Scrooge’s quarters. “Just so you know, Scrooge isn’t, um, really himself anymore.”

Della and Donald said nothing in response, fixated on their Uncle. Scrooge sat on the edge of his large bed, with unfocused eyes staring at nothing in particular. 

“Uncle Scrooge!” Donald burst out happily, running towards him, with Della close behind him. Scrooge didn’t acknowledge his nephew and niece. He didn’t even look up.

Della watched the unresponsive duck with a contemplative expression. “Is he under some sort of spell? It must have to do with all the shadows outside, right?”

“Yeah. Magica de Spell did all this.”

“Mm,” Della grunted. She and Donald attempted to get Scrooge to notice them, but had no such luck.

After a few minutes of Scrooge sitting rigidly in place, looking lost in another world, Della turned to Webby. “Where are my,” she swallowed. “Where are my boys?”

Webby’s heart skipped a beat. She’d forgotten how she’d always assumed the triplets were with their mother. But now. . . well, obviously not.

“No one knows,” Webby murmured, spotting the sharp look of hurt on both Donald and Della’s faces. “They disappeared not long after you did.”

Only silence met her words. Donald put a comforting hand on his sister’s shoulders as her body shook. 

Suddenly, a strangled voice sounded from behind them. “Kids?” Scrooge barely whispered.

“Uncle Scrooge?” Della and Donald spoke together, almost sounding like they were choking.

“You’re. . . alive.” Every word sounded like a battle as Scrooge desperately tried to break free from his spell. His pupils rapidly dilated as he attempted to focus on Della and Donald.

“Yes! We made it back, we were on the moon!” Della explained. 

Scrooge gasped as he shook his head back and forth, still trying to speak coherently. “Nothing is right. . . here. Get out while you still can!” 

Then it was as if a light switched off behind his eyes, and the soul inhabiting his body became vacant. Scrooge tensed up again, closed off to his family once more, and locked back in his prison. 

Della and Donald drew back. Surely it was quite a shock to return home after ten years and find  _ this.  _

“Well, Scrooge is right about one thing,” Della sighed. “We need to get out. We need to find the kids.”

Donald nodded somberly. “I’ll help you.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Webby squeaked, unable to hide her disappointment. Even with the rebellion meetings, she still felt incredibly alone during the day. Not to mention that these two were her heroes!

“We have no choice,” Della told Webby kindly. “I have to find my boys, even if it means searching to the ends of the earth.” 

Webby pondered telling them about the rebellion, but decided against it. Della and Donald’s goal was to find the triplets. Unfortunately, as much as Webby wanted to help in the search, there was nothing she could do. So, she watched the twins leave, a little crestfallen. 

It wasn’t until later that night that Webby got to talk with someone again. The mansion was always echoey and dark, and seemed especially lonely at dinner time. Scrooge more often than not opted to stay in his room while only Webby and her granny sat at the table for a meal. 

Webby unenthusiastically pushed her peas around the plate. She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty, since she wasn’t supposed to play with her food.

However, when her granny cleared her throat, it wasn’t exactly for correction. “Webby, dear, I know about the rebellion. And I believe I’ve been unfair.”

“The rebellion?” Webby jumped, feeling chills run down her spine. How would her granny react, now knowing that Webby had been keeping secrets from her?

“Yes. And I’ve known for a long time. Before you were recruited, even.”

“Really? How?” Webby was intrigued.

“I used to be an agent before Magica took over, as you know.” Webby did know, since her granny had taught her all of her skills. “The rebellion hasn’t escaped my radar, but I chose to ignore it.”

“Why? You would be the fiercest fighter in their ranks!”

Her granny sighed. “It is not acceptable to lie, but I haven’t been completely in the right either. It’s not fair to keep you cooped up in the mansion. I know that you deserve to be out there living, and helping the world that desperately needs you. So, I wanted to apologize, and tell you how proud of you I am.”

“Th-thank you! And I’m sorry, too. I guess we haven’t been very honest with each other.”

Then her grandmother hugged her, simply saying, “No more lies, and from now on we can both do our part in helping the rebellion.”

Inside, Webby was beaming.  _ My granny is proud of me!  _

Lena was leading her only friend into the woods, intent on killing her. An earlier conversation with her Aunt was all that ran through her head.

_ “And do you know why the torture works so well?” Magica grinned.  _

_ “No. Please tell me why your evil revenge plot is going flawlessly,” Lena replied through gritted teeth.  _

_ “Because Scrooge is completely aware of how royally he’s failed. He knows the fate of his family, and yet he can’t tell anyone! It’s wonderful, how I’ve imprisoned him in his mind!” _

_ “Yeah, you do a bang-up job of keeping people locked up,” Lena sighed.  _

_ Magica smirked. “I assume you’re going to eliminate your little friend soon? It’s been days since I asked.” _

_ “There are better ways to take out the rebellion! Webby shouldn’t have to die,” Lena begged for a final time. She desperately hoped with every fiber of her being, that Webby could be spared. The happy little battle duckling didn’t deserve to die.  _

_ “Oh? And if you don’t obey me, what do you think I’ll do? Wallow in my tears?” Magica laughed as she crossed her arms. “Of course you know very well what I can do. Funnily enough, I thought they would only be useful as leverage against Scrooge. . . not you.” _

_ Lena felt herself go cold as she recognized Magica threatening the triplets. “No,” she breathed. _

_ “No what?” _

_ “No I won’t disobey. I’ll-I’ll do it, if that’s really what it’s going to take.” _

_ Magica began to cackle insanely as she harshly grabbed hold of Lena’s wrist. “You’ve let them worm their way into your dark heart,” she seemed jubilant as she continued. “How wonderful is this, dear Lena? I’ve found your weakness!” _

Lena forcefully thrust herself back into the present. It was true, Magica had found her weakness, and had only made it abundantly clear what Lena had no choice but to do. Or else she’d have to face the consequences.

She had brought Webby out to a secretive location, where no one could interrupt them. Coincidentally, they weren’t too far off from the tower.

Lena hadn’t purposely brought them so close. Perhaps it was more of a subconscious decision. She’d be able to immediately return home to the triplets after the deed was done. 

After Webby was dead, they’d be safe. That was all that mattered. 

“So, what’s this secret rebel thing you’ve got to show me?” Webby cheerily asked, bouncing up and down in anticipation. 

Lena turned to the younger girl with a sad smile. “Nothing like that. But I’m sorry I have to do this to you. You don’t deserve it.” 

Webby’s face momentarily registered with confusion upon the betrayal. Apparently Lena was destined to be involved in lots of betrayals. 

Then, she opened up the ravine. 

Purple magic pulsed from her amulet as Webby screamed. Webby skillfully grabbed her grappling hook, but was unable to use it before Lena effortlessly discarded it from her hand with a flick. 

Webby was left dangling by a root, hanging over the gaping crack Lena had left in the earth. “Lena!” she cried. “What’re you doing? I thought we were best friends!”

Lena’s hand trembled. It wouldn’t take much now. Just one quick movement and she could send Webby falling off to her doom. 

“I have to kill you,” Lena shuddered, her eyes blurring in tears. “I’ve got no choice. I have to do what she says!”

“Who? What do you mean you have to do what  _ she  _ says?” Webby yelped, desperately trying to hang onto the root. It was the only lifeline among the crumbling rocks all around her.

Hesitating at first, Lena finally let loose. “Magica. My Aunt,” she sighed. Shockingly enough, it felt good to admit it to someone. Even though that someone would be dead within seconds. 

Webby paused, appearing a mix between astonished and dismayed. She looked like she was piecing together a massive puzzle, with multiple realizations suddenly clicking into place.

“Lena, you can still do so much! I know you can help the rebellion! You’re good! Unless, unless it was a lie, and you were never really my friend?” Webby sounded so incredibly heartbroken and raw that it tore Lena apart.

“It wasn’t a lie,” Lena said softly.

“You can still rise up against her, with all of us! Lena, you are more than Magica.” Webby seemed so sincere, but Lena couldn’t believe her. When the time really came, no one would help Lena. She always faced her problems alone. 

“I can’t! You don’t understand!”

“Then make me understand!” Webby pleaded, her eyes glistening.

Lena suddenly felt dizzy. Instead of Webby hanging over the ravine, grasping onto a lone root for dear life, she saw Dewey. 

Dewey, with his beak twisted in anger. Unable to forgive her for betraying him. Unable to see how much Lena loved him. 

Then Dewey became Huey. The red-capped duckling gazed up at her with wide, questioning eyes. It was as if he was begging her to consider her decisions logically. How far was she willing to push her own morals?

Lastly, it was Louie who was on the verge of death. His green hoodie hung onto the root as he quivered in fear. Louie, who Lena had always felt the strongest maternal instinct for. He was the one who felt things much more deeply than he ever let on.

Maybe he and Lena were alike in that way.

Lena blinked, finally seeing who it really was in front of her. Webby, innocent and also her friend. How could Lena murder a friend? Would she just as easily be willing to let one triplet suffer to spare the other two?

Casting the amulet aside, Lena reached for Webby’s hand and hauled her back up to safety. 

Webby froze up for a second, unsure of how to react. Lena had just tried to kill her!  _ Lena!  _ Her very first real friend had used magic to betray her.

But there was more to it than that. Lena seemed to be breaking down and panicking, and all Webby wanted to do was comfort her. Her heart thumped loudly as Lena snapped the crack of the ravine back together, getting rid of what was supposed to be Webby’s death trap.

Lena was clearly being forced to do awful things, yet Webby wholeheartedly feared for her friend’s well being. Because Lena was still good; she had saved Webby. 

It seemed that Lena had more reasons than most to take down Magica, but couldn’t. So Webby vowed to help her.

“Lena,” Webby whispered, approaching her friend like she was a wild, wounded animal. “It’s okay Lena. I’m not mad. We can work through this together.”

Lena watched Webby reproachfully as she sobbed. “I-I’ve ruined it. They’re all going to pay now.”

“No, no,” Webby soothed, although she was unsure of who  _ they  _ were. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. We can all help you escape Magica. I will always stay at your side, I promise.”

Unfortunately, saying that only seemed to make matters worse. Lena backed away from Webby. “No one can help me. She’ll only hurt them more.”

Webby extended her hand to touch Lena’s shoulder, hating how distraught her friend was. But Lena jerked away and broke off farther into the woods. 

“Lena! Wait!” Webby called, chasing after Lena as she darted between the oak trees.

But Lena said nothing, and all Webby could hear was her heart-wrenching cries.  _ Why won’t Lena let me help her?  _

After a few minutes of pursuit, Lena began to slow down at a clearing that had been previously hidden away by the thick woodland. A tall tower was staked in the ground, spindling up towards the sky in a twist.

Had Lena meant to come to this place? Webby wasn’t sure, but followed anyway. Instead of going into the tower, which only seemed accessible by a window at the top, Lena walked off farther into the woods.

Webby watched Lena disappear into the undergrowth. If she listened closely, she could still hear Lena’s faint cries.

Webby decided to let it go for now, since Lena wanted to be alone. So she turned her attention back to the tower, curiously examining it. Overgrown vines wrapped all around the cobblestone. It led Webby to wonder if the entire place had been untouched for years.

But what could be lost in investigating? Webby might’ve lost her grappling hook in the ravine, but she still had her wits.

So she began scaling the wall, finding grooves in the cobble to pull herself up. It wasn’t long before Webby was just below the window.

And to her immense surprise, she could hear voices! Webby carefully peered through, having to squint because of how dimly lit the inside was.

There were three of them, gathered together and talking amongst themselves. They were all boys who looked to be about Webby’s age. And it was a bit hard to tell, but they appeared to be wearing color coded clothing. Red, blue, and green.

_ No! It’s not really. . .  _ Webby could practically feel her gears turning as realization dawned.  _ Have I actually found them? _

Accepting that there was no time like the present, Webby hopped down onto the mosaic floor. Three high-pitched screams greeted her arrival as she grinned at the triplets, absolutely elated.

“Hi, I’m Webby!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I should add this in at the end-- 
> 
> Sadly, Ducktales hasn't been renewed for a fourth season. I truly believe it will go down as one of the best reboots, and I'm personally incredibly thankful to have experienced it. I'm still very much looking forward to seeing the last few episodes, and how the series will wrap up. From what I've gathered, it seems like season three was made with a finale in mind.   
> Although this wonderful show will be coming to an end in 2021, hopefully the fans will still keep it alive. I will certainly continue writing this story and other Ducktales things. 
> 
> So yeah! I hope whoever's reading this has a good day/night. :)


	10. The Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm sorry this took a bit longer than usual for me to update, I've been busy. Anyways, this chapter was an absolute blast to write!
> 
> Thank you so much for all of the reviews and kudos, I really appreciate all of it!!
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy--

“Aaaaaaaaaaaa- awesome!” Dewey’s yelp of surprise led into a word. 

There was a stranger in their tower. A  _ girl _ . 

Huey had to momentarily pause as he tried to examine the scene. Dewey and Louie were still spooked, so they’d jumped behind him. Huey instinctively moved to protect his brothers, but wasn’t fully present. 

Why did she look so excited to see them? Had she climbed up the tower all by herself? Lena and Aunt Magica always resorted to magic when coming and going.

Speaking of Lena, was she aware of any of this? She’d been gone for days. Dewey relentlessly insisted she had left for good. But Huey knew she would never do that.

_ “Why can’t I get you to understand?” Dewey had begged him a couple of nights ago. _

_ Huey’d felt a tad stung; he didn’t like not understanding things. “There’s nothing for me to understand! Lena will come back!”  _

_ He had almost let his wild, emotional temper out of its cage. Thankfully, Huey had successfully smothered his anger down, but it had still been too close. _

_ Louie hadn’t been much help in Huey and Dewey’s war to change each other’s minds. Although that wasn’t really his fault. Louie had always been the most emotional one, and had resorted to closing himself off upon Lena’s second disappearance.  _

It had been a very tense week between the three of them, and this new arrival violently shook them out of their stupor. 

“Did you say your name was Webby?” Huey murmured. His stomach swirled in anxiety as he realized how odd it was to be talking to someone he hadn’t met before. Huey had only been among his family the past ten years. 

“Right!” she grinned joyfully. “And you guys are Huey, Dewey, and Louie!”

“How do you know?” Louie asked suspiciously. Huey realized he hadn’t heard his younger brother speak in days, and was rather disturbed by how Louie sounded.

Broken. 

“Well, I mean, um,” Webby stumbled. “You’ve been missing for ten years.”

_ You’ve been missing.  _ That suggested there were others out there actively looking for them. Why would anyone miss Huey and his brothers if Lena and Magica were their only family?

“Are there nice people that want to meet us outside?” Louie asked, nervously fiddling with his sweatshirt. 

“Of course!” Webby told him kindly. “Your family is a bit. . . scattered, but they’d be so happy to know you’re safe!”

“We have more family?” Dewey was over the moon in awe. 

Huey shook his head. This was all so confusing. “No. Our family is Lena and Aunt Magica.”

Webby’s brow furrowed. “Your  _ Aunt  _ Magica? She’s not your Aunt,” she said bluntly. 

Before Huey could process the implications of that statement, Webby was already moving on. “Wait! You know Lena? Does she come here often?”

“Not anymore,” Dewey laughed bitterly. 

“She lives here. She always took care of us,” Louie’s response was much softer. 

“Oh!” It looked as though Webby had had a dawn of realization. “That makes sense.”

“Have you seen her?” Huey questioned. 

Webby hesitated before answering. “I have. But Lena needs some alone time, she’s very. . . sad.”

“So you must be in the rebellion, right?” Dewey exclaimed, suddenly remembering. Huey figured that Lena must’ve told him that before she left. 

“I am!” Webby bounced up and down ecstatically. “And you guys could be a part of it too!”

Dewey looked very taken with that idea, but Huey definitely wasn’t. “We can’t leave. It’s too dangerous out there. Remember, when Lena said she was going to fight the evil shadows?”

“I think it’s dangerous whenever Magica comes in here,” Dewey countered, his expression salty. “But, come on dude! Webby just said our  _ family  _ is waiting for us!”

“So, why are you three even in this tower?” Webby inquired, although she appeared to already have a guess. 

“Lena said she brought us when we were little,” Dewey immediately explained. 

“It’s because we’re safest here. Magica and Lena just want to protect us from the shadows. We wouldn’t be able to handle them ourselves.” Huey added.

Webby glanced away for a moment, contemplating. “I think you should know that it’s Magica who made those shadows.” Huey didn’t know why Webby looked so sympathetic as she spoke.

“Well then maybe she really does care about us. If she’s keeping us away from that,” Louie sighed. 

“What?” Dewey gasped. “Magica does  _ not  _ care about us. I mean, come on.”

“That’s probably true,” Webby agreed. “The Magica I know is a maniacal, apocalyptic overlord. But I guess I don’t know how she’s treated you.”

“Never good,” Dewey crossed his arms.

Huey had to admit that he was pretty terrified of the sorceress. She was scary, and whenever she touched him, he’d shiver. But that didn’t change the fact that Magica was in charge and Huey had to obey her.

Huey tried to sort and compartmentalize his thoughts by what he knew to be true.

_ I’m safest in the tower.  _ True. Logically, staying in a hidden shelter was the best place to hide from shadows.

_ I’m not strong enough to fight the shadows.  _ True. The best way to protect his brothers was by staying in the tower. Besides, he was better off in fictional worlds.

_ Magica and Lena are my only other family.  _ True. No. Not true. According to Webby, who obviously had more knowledge of outside life, their family wanted to know where they were. And apparently Magica wasn’t even their Aunt. So what did that make Lena?

“You guys have got to get out of here. What if Magica comes back? I can take you to the mansion!” Webby continued excitedly. 

“Mansion?” Louie’s interest had piqued. 

“Yes! It’s the home of Scrooge McDuck! He’s your great uncle.”

Huey’s heart nearly fell out of his rib cage. He recalled reading a storybook about the incredibly savvy Scrooge McDuck, and wondering why a stamp revealed it to be his property. All of this new information was coming at Huey much too fast, and now he was learning that the famed Scrooge McDuck was his Uncle?

So why weren’t they with him? How did he and his brothers end up with Lena and Magica? What about their other family members - their mother? What had become of her?

Huey wasn’t quite sure of how to react to this stranger that had barged in unannounced, and was trying to get him to leave his home. So he responded with what had to be a fact. “We can’t leave. Lena will still come back, when she’s ready.”

Dewey let out something resembling a growl. He grabbed Huey by the shoulders and shook him. “Why can’t I get through to you? This is our time to finally escape!”

_ Escape?  _ There wasn’t anything to escape from. 

When Huey didn’t reply, Dewey scowled, clearly frustrated. “Are you not even the least bit curious?”

“Magica will be angry if we leave,” Huey’s tone was meek. “And Lena will be-”

“I don’t care! I don’t care what they think! They’ve repeatedly lied to us about  _ everything _ and I’m done trying to please them.”

Huey gulped, realizing Louie was watching him closely. His youngest brother hadn’t said anything during their argument, but was certainly analyzing every word. Louie seemed to be waiting on his decision. 

A very agitated Dewey backed away from Huey, shaking his head. He sighed, lowering his voice. “But, I won’t leave this stupid cage if you won’t.”

Well, Huey was a  _ little  _ curious. It still felt wrong, but maybe Dewey was somewhat right about them being trapped inside the tower. They certainly weren’t living the exciting lives they should have been.

“Okay, fine. We should go,” Huey relented. 

Dewey smiled the brightest he ever had. Huey wondered if agreeing would only be worth it because of how happy Dewey had just become. “That’s more like it!” he playfully punched Huey on the shoulder.

“Just- just let me get my JWG first,” Huey went up the stairs to their room to grab the guidebook. 

“He’s got the whole thing memorized,” he heard Dewey whisper to Webby.

That was true. It was practically downloaded to Huey’s brain, so he didn’t necessarily need to bring it along. Perhaps he just wanted it for comfort. It could probably help him with navigating the outside world.

When he returned, Dewey, Louie, and Webby were leaning over the window and gazing at the ground below. 

“Hold on, first you need to tell me who’s who.” Webby was saying.

Louie pointed to each of them. “Huey’s in red, Dewey’s in blue, and I’m in green. The best color.”

“So how do we get down?” Dewey asked. 

“The same way I got up! We climb,” said Webby. 

“Climb?” Louie looked at her anxiously. “Do we really have to go out there?”

“Of course! But you don’t have to worry, I’ll help you the whole way. Who wants to go first?”

Webby hadn’t even finished talking before Dewey was eagerly climbing down. As Huey watched his brother descend, he felt a nervous pang in his stomach. 

They were deliberately disobeying Magica. Would she hunt them down and bring them back? Would she punish them? Would it hurt?

Huey kept his concerns quiet since he’d already agreed. He found himself thinking back a few years.

_ “I think it’d be fun out there!” Dewey had exclaimed. He was only five years old at the time. _

_ “No,” Lena shushed him, pulling the blue-clothed duckling close to her. “You can never let Aunt Magica hear you say that. We’re all safest here.” _

_ “Okay, sorry,” he replied, muffled.  _

_ “There’s big monster shadows out there!” Louie squeaked, wrapping himself in blankets.  _

_ “We can’t ever leave!” Huey cried, making sure to remember it. _

And now Huey was frozen, clinging to the stone wall, inches away from touching the grass for the first time in his life. It looked springy, green and inviting.

Louie was already laid back across the shrubs, silently taking in his surroundings. Dewey was joyfully running through the trees, screaming, “This is the best day ever!”

Webby leaned against the tower, watching them all with an amused expression. “It’s okay Huey,” she soothed. “You can touch the ground.”

Huey raised his eyebrows, then cautiously stepped down. He quickly learned that looks were deceiving.

He could feel the spiky grass penetrating his bare webbed-feet. It was awful and itchy and weird. Huey hated it, and kind of wanted to scream. 

But he didn’t. Webby tried to reassure him by patting his elbow, but Huey jerked away from her, not wanting to be touched right then. “Just breathe. You’re alright,” she was whispering.

Huey shook his head. “I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth. The reality of how terrifying this was had finally set in. Huey wasn’t sure if he was prepared to tackle the unknown. Still, he had to try.

Webby began to lead them through the woods and towards the shadow-ridden city she called Duckburg.

Dewey only became more euphoric as they got closer. Louie was quiet, carefully listening to the buzzing sounds all around them. At one point he jumped up in alarm, thinking he’d heard a ghost. But Webby informed him it was only the wind whistling between the trees. 

Webby was keen towards others’ moods. She swiftly picked up on how dejected Huey was, even though he was making an effort to hide his feelings.

It was a mix of things. His senses were becoming jumbled as he was overwhelmed with the new world around him. Huey was also fearful for his brothers, and what might happen to them if Magica wanted to  _ retrieve  _ the three of them. 

“You know, I was stuck inside the mansion for most of my life until now. It would’ve been pretty boring if I hadn’t set any goals. So what about you guys? Do you have any dreams?” Webby broke the silence. 

“I’ve gotta dream!” Dewey piped up. “I’ve always wanted to be an adventurer who travels the globe!”

Louie cracked a smile. “And I’ve always wanted to be filthy rich and surrounded by enormous piles of money.”

Huey had to think for a second about what his dream was. “I guess I’d like to be some sort of scientist.”

After a while of walking, they finally reached Duckburg. It was definitely overrun with shadows, that was for sure.

“Yeah, I think I’d like to go back to the tower now,” Louie joked, glancing up at the blood red sky.

The mansion was massive and the grandest thing Huey had ever seen. Which was really saying something considering the books he’d read.

Huey had expected the inside of the McDuck Manor to be bustling with activity, but instead it was eerily silent.

Webby guided the triplets to where Scrooge’s room was. Huey’s heart fluttered uneasily. What would he say to the first relative he’d ever met?

Before opening the door, Webby turned to them. “I must warn you that he’s not fully in control. We all think Magica’s put a spell on him.”

Huey, Dewey, and Louie nodded. The door creaked open and they caught sight of him. His back was rigid and his eyes blurry. This Scrooge didn’t look anything like the legendary duck they’d read about. 

Dewey was the first to approach him. “Hi-,” he hesitated. “Uncle Scrooge. We’re your nephews. I’m Dewey and they’re Huey and Louie.”

Huey thought it would be good to fill their Uncle in, even though he seemed very absent. “We’ve been living in a tower. Webby helped us come here.”

Scrooge’s head abruptly twitched as he made a weird gagging sound. “Boys!” he squawked. “You’re here!”

Then, unexpectedly, he reached in to give the three of them a big hug. “Oh! Just look at you! Are you lads alright?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re okay,” Louie whispered, amazed at Scrooge’s transformation.

“That’s good. You’re all alive,” he breathed, relieved. “Listen, you kids have got to get out of here. You can’t stay-”

His words were violently cut off as his jaw was forced shut and he was snapped back into his foggy state.

The four kids were speechless. No adult had ever treated Huey, Dewey, and Louie so kindly. The whole interaction had given Huey a warm, happy feeling. 

“Why are you so surprised?” Dewey questioned Webby.

Webby’s eyes were shining with hope. “That’s the longest I’ve ever seen him like that.”

A few days had passed since Huey and his brothers had entered the real world. They had gone from being stuck in one place to another.

It was weird for them to sleep in their own beds instead of sharing one. And even weirder to live with their Uncle, who had remained unresponsive since their first encounter. 

Webby had told them they’d get to meet the rebellion soon, which Huey was worried about. He wasn’t sure if he could fight against Magica, as well as Lena, by default.

It happened when the three boys were sitting alone in their room. They’d become somewhat numb as they tried to adjust to such a drastic change.

But suddenly there was a loud thumping in the hallways. Someone must’ve been running. Huey perked up to see a figure at the door.

He recognized who it was. He’d seen her face on Webby’s complicated research board of the Duck Family.

It was Della Duck. Their mother.


	11. Lullaby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! It's the last chapter of 2020!! I hope you're all enjoying the holidays, and happy new year!
> 
> Sorry, but I most likely won't be updating this story as frequently (once a week) anymore, but that definitely doesn't mean I've abandoned it. 
> 
> Side note, I promise Louie will have a POV, it's just going to be a little later. :)
> 
> Thank you so much for all of your kudos and reviews, they mean a lot!
> 
> I hope you enjoy --

Dewey recognized her instantly. She was another one of the family members he’d been robbed of knowing, and arguably the most important. Della was their mother. 

He and his brothers should’ve been with her all along. . . so why hadn’t they? 

“Oh, boys,” Della gasped, falling to her knees. “I’m finally meeting you.”

The three of them said nothing, obviously shocked. Dewey stole a quick glance at Huey and Louie, who wore identical wide-eyed expressions. Neither of them looked like they were about to speak.

So, Della continued when they wouldn’t. “I-I’ve come back now. Your Uncle Donald and I were stuck on the moon. We never stopped fighting to get back home and I’m-” Della seemed like she was on the verge of weeping. “And I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

At his core, Dewey was quite simple emotionally. He was angry at Lena for her betrayal. He hated Magica. Dewey could remember being told that  _ hate  _ was a strong word, but it still fit. 

But what was Dewey supposed to feel towards his mom? His gut reaction was excitement, so that was how he reacted at first.

“That’s great, Mom!” Dewey exclaimed, bouncing up to run into her arms. He’d be lying to say the hug didn’t feel somewhat uncomfortable. “I’m Dewey. The best one!”

Della smiled, and tears welled up in her eyes as she caressed Dewey’s face. For a brief moment, Dewey felt shivers move down his spine at the sudden touch.

The action reminded Dewey of all the times Magica had patted him on the head. He desperately tried to shake the feeling away since this was obviously different. Della was being affectionate and kind. His mother wasn’t Magica. Magica only wanted to hurt him. 

Della wouldn’t hurt him, would she? 

Dewey smiled back, suddenly subdued. He quickly broke apart from the hug, looking to his brothers. Huey and Louie were still frozen to the spot, and Dewey knew they were both calculating their next move. Those two had an addiction to strategy. 

“You’re our real. . . mom,” Huey said at last, trying out the word. 

“Yes,” Della responded softly. 

Huey narrowed his eyes as he contemplated. “Did you know we’ve been living in a tower the past ten years?” 

The oldest triplet hadn’t implied any blame in what he’d asked, but Della looked heartbroken. “I didn’t,” she murmured. “I only knew that you’d disappeared soon after we did.” 

“But you always wanted to be with us?” 

Della took in a shaky breath. “From every moment since we’ve been apart.”

“Oh,” was all Huey answered. He almost seemed surprised at the prospect of having a mother who’d been searching for him. 

Dewey couldn’t help but feel sympathetic as Della stood up and approached his brothers. Reuniting with his mother was proving to be much more confusing than Dewey ever could’ve anticipated. He’d never really felt so complicated before.

And clearly his brothers were faring much worse. None of the triplets knew how to react to their mom. They’d never had one before. 

Della opened up her arms as she walked up to Huey, offering him a hug. Huey was momentarily confused as he stared up at her. Then he somewhat stiffly obliged as he moved into her embrace. 

When Della turned to Louie, it was the first time everyone else in the room realized he was trembling. And right as she was about to hug her youngest son, Louie backed away. “N-no thank you.”

Della drew back, startled. Even Dewey and Huey were surprised at Louie’s refusal. 

Louie was beginning to cry as he shook his head. In an effort to explain himself, he tried to get a coherent thought out. “I don’t know who you- this is all so confus- I’m sorry- I c-can’t do this.”

Della moved away to give him space. “No, it’s okay. Don’t apologize, I understand. I know this is a big change. You have every right to feel confused.”

Huey gently grabbed Louie’s forearm in an attempt to stabilize him. Louie slowly calmed down. No one said anything for a few minutes as they all tried to figure out what they were supposed to do next.

“Mom?” Louie piped up. Della looked at him attentively, evidently shocked to see that it was Louie who’d called her that. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course. You boys can always tell me anything. I won’t leave you ever again,” Della reassured him. 

Her words reminded Dewey of Lena’s empty promises.

Louie dropped his gaze, instead opting to stare at the floor. “I’m scared that Magica is going to find us and. . .” 

“It’s okay bud, everything’s going to be okay. No one will hurt you. You’re all safe now,” Della comforted him.

“Are we?” Dewey asked. 

Della ignored his question, instead saying, “Would you kids like to meet your Uncle Donald now?”

“Yeah!” Dewey exclaimed, happy to meet another relative. Perhaps it was the fact that Della was their mom that had made their reunion so hard. 

Donald Duck was awaiting them in the foyer. From what Dewey knew, he was his Uncle, and the twin brother to his mom. Together, they’d been stuck on the moon while he’d been stuck in a tower.

Upon their arrival, Donald giddily ran over to his nephews. “You’re here! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!”

Their Uncle proceeded to squeeze the three of them into a tight hug. It was less scary hugging him for some reason. 

“How come you sound like that?” Huey inquired, referring to the sailor duck’s speech impediment. Dewey had also thought that it was a bit difficult to understand his words.

Donald’s expression turned downcast. Della was about to speak when Dewey interrupted. “It’s okay Uncle Donald, I think your voice sounds cool! I wish mine sounded like that.”

Huey and Louie nodded in agreement. Donald perked up, and smiled the widest smile Dewey had ever seen. 

“Would you kids like to go out to eat or-” Della stopped herself, noticing the barred off windows. 

“Not many places to go,” Donald sighed. 

Dewey deflated, realizing his mother and Uncle felt just as trapped as him. Just as sad. Dewey didn’t like being sad, so he usually became angry instead, since that was easier. But why was he sad now? 

_ I thought I had everything I wanted. I’m free. I’m with my family.  _

Unfortunately, the reality of their circumstances finally clicked in Dewey’s mind. They were all still locked away.

“We could go. . . to the kitchen?” Louie suggested. 

“Yes!” Dewey seconded, eager for anything to distract him from his thoughts. “Huzzah! To the kitchen!”

Della and Donald prepared a fancy meal of sandwiches for the three of them. Huey was surprised he hadn’t been asked to help, since he’d cooked the majority of their meals back in the tower. 

Once the platter of sandwiches was set on the table, Huey, Dewey, and Louie didn’t dare touch it. They looked to Della and Donald for permission. 

“What’re you waiting for?” Della’s brow furrowed. 

Huey’s eyes widened. “Well, uh- we sometimes had to wait for Magica to take the first bite.”

“No, no,” Donald said kindly, pushing the food towards his nephews. “It’s for you, so you can eat it all you want.”

After a beat of hesitation, the triplets happily dug in. Although Dewey didn’t miss Della and Donald exchanging a strange look. 

It wasn’t until right before bedtime that Dewey and his brothers saw Webby for the first time that day. Although they knew she’d been doing stuff with the rebellion. 

“Hey Webby!” Dewey called out as he saw her.

“Oh, hey guys!” she answered cheerily. “Did you get to meet Della and Donald today?”

“Sure did!” Dewey made his voice sound overly happy, more for his brothers’ sake. Huey and Louie hadn’t seemed like themselves lately. 

“That’s fantastic! You know I was really surprised they got the rebellion’s message so fast. I think they would’ve gone on searching for you three for eternity.”

“When did they start looking for us?” Louie murmured. Dewey decided not to point out that he had no idea what ‘eternity’ meant. 

“Only a few days before I found you. They’d just escaped the moon! Aren’t they awesome?” Webby grinned. 

Louie gave a quick nod, signaling he had nothing else to add. 

“Wait, so when do we get to join the rebellion?” Dewey questioned. He was definitely looking forward to helping their efforts. 

“Soon!” Webby promised. “They’re all ecstatic to meet you. The whole vibe has been much happier since you three escaped. Magica can’t use you guys for leverage anymore, so she’s lost her upper hand in that respect!”

Huey and Louie both looked very put off from being called leverage. Dewey was just glad they were finally realizing how crummy Magica was. 

“Well I’m tired,” Huey sighed, beginning to trek back to their room. Dewey halfheartedly waved goodbye to Webby as he and Louie followed.

They all decided to sleep in the same bunk that night. It made them feel closer, and like they were back home in the tower. As contradicting as that was for Dewey, the notion still gave him a little comfort. 

Suddenly, Della came into the dark room, surprising all of them. “Hi boys,” she whispered. “I wanted to come in and say goodnight.”

Dewey shuffled further to the left to make room for her to sit. “Could I sing you a song I wrote?” she asked.

They all nodded, watching her keenly as she took a deep breath.

_ “Look to the stars my darling baby boys _

_ Life is strange and vast _

_ Filled with wonders and joys _

_ Face each new sun with eyes clear and true _

_ Unafraid of the unknown _

_ Because I’ll face it all with you.” _

Huey, Dewey, and Louie had fallen asleep before she’d even finished the lullaby. Della leaned down to kiss each of their foreheads. 

No one seemed to be around the next day, so Dewey and his brothers took to exploring the mansion. It may have been another place they were stuck in, but at least it was roomy. 

But of all the things Dewey had been expecting to discover, this wasn’t it.

“Lena?” he gasped. She’d appeared in the hall seemingly out of nowhere. Upon closer inspection, she’d come in through the window.

“What’re you doing here?” Louie yelped, jumping back a few paces. 

Lena froze for a moment, taking them in. Dewey realized they probably looked a lot healthier. “I’m glad I’ve found you,” she sighed at last, relieved. 

“How did you get in here? Where have you been?” Huey asked quietly. Dewey almost felt nervous at how intense his brother was acting. 

“It’s. . . not my first time sneaking in here,” Lena hesitated before continuing. “I’ve been with the rebellion. But I-I failed my mission.”

“Your mission?” Dewey narrowed his eyes. When Lena didn’t reply, Dewey snapped. “Just tell the truth for once! And not what we want to hear.”

Lena exhaled shakily. “Okay, I will. You deserve it. My mission was to kill Webby, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

For a very rare moment, Dewey was speechless. Lena was supposed to  _ kill  _ Webby? 

“Magica wanted you to?” Louie shuddered. “Does Magica want to kill us?”

Lena leaned against the wall, shivering. “I don’t think so. But. . .”

Dewey clenched his fists, becoming increasingly more enraged. “Stop treating us like stupid little kids! Say the whole truth about everything. Tell us how we even ended up in that tower,” he demanded. 

Lena stared at Dewey for a long while, then she looked away. “In all honesty, Magica’s threatened to kill me if I don’t bring you guys back.”

“Bring us back?” Louie went pale as a ghost. 

Dewey shushed him. “You’re bluffing. Manipulating us just like her,” he grumbled. 

“What?” Lena asked in surprise. 

“I said you’re bluffing. You’re trying to get us to forgive you!” Dewey felt a sudden pang in his chest.  _ Do I actually mean half of the words I’m saying? Lena’s not really as awful as Magica. . . _

Tears had sprung from Lena’s eyes. “Y-you don’t have to forgive me, Dewey. But I truly am sorry for how I’ve lied to each of you. I’ve kept you all in the dark, and that wasn’t fair of me.”

“So. . . are you really going to bring us back? Do we have to go?” Huey asked anxiously. Out of the three of them, Huey would probably be the most willing. But Dewey knew he was just as terrified of Magica as Louie. 

“Of course not. I’ve come to get you guys so we can run away,” Lena explained.

While that was certainly a better alternative than the previous, Dewey would never choose it. He had to stick by his family. He had to make sure Magica would never hurt them again. 

And he couldn’t do that if he ran away like a coward. 

“No way! We’re staying here. Now are you going to tell us how we ended up with you and Magica?”

Lena sighed. “Alright, fine. Here’s the whole story. Magica wanted to take revenge on your Uncle Scrooge and I had to go along with it because I’m-I’m her shadow.”

“You’re a shadow!” Huey cried. “So  _ that’s  _ why you hardly ever eat!”

“Right. Anyways, I stole your eggs about a day before you hatched and brought you to the tower. Magica forced me to stay and watch over you, which I was still happy to do. She was busy wreaking havoc on the world while we were all holed up in there. And I had to keep doing what she said or else she would’ve hurt you. I had to leave the tower because she wanted me to end the rebellion by taking out Webby. But now I’ve just messed it up more by disobeying, so we have to leave.”

“Do you even want to go along with everything Magica orders?” Louie questioned.

“Not anymore. But I’ve never really had a choice, have I?” Lena muttered. Then she looked at them seriously. “So I’m making a choice now. We all need to get out of here and away from her.”

Huey and Louie were stunned into silence, unsure of how to reply. But Dewey perfectly understood what he’d just heard. Lena had helped Magica break apart his family and leave him stuck in a tower for ten years.

“No, we’re staying here,” Dewey reiterated. “You’re half the reason we were trapped in that tower!”

“Dewey, I only want to keep you safe. I love you all more than anything, and I-”

“You were never really our family,” Dewey pointed out harshly. He didn’t allow himself time to regret the words.

Lena’s eyes went wide as she took a step back, clearly stung. Without missing a beat, she retreated into the shadowy darkness with a quiet sob.


	12. An Approaching Eclipse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I finally got around to writing this chapter! (And I guess I've changed my mind. . . Louie gets his POV now! And later on as well.)
> 
> Happy 2021! I believe Ducktales is coming back in February, so that's exciting. :)
> 
> Once again, I really appreciate every single kudos and review. <3

Louie was not the rebel-against-the-powerful-dictator-and-be-the-hero sort of guy. No, he was more of the sit-back-and-watch-the-world-inevitably-fall-apart-because-I-couldn’t-be-useful-anyways type.

Although it didn’t really look as if he had a choice. Within days, he’d been taken into a whole new way of life and told his old one was horrible and that he shouldn’t want to go back to it. 

But he did. He did want to go back to the tower,  _ so _ badly. It was weird because while Louie was completely terrified of returning, he was also terrified of his new reality. Louie could never win, apparently. 

So what was the better option? Willingly go back to being petrified by Magica and living a cooped up, admittedly sad life? Or, continue on where he was, surrounded by strange new people he was supposed to call family?

Unfortunately, Louie couldn’t talk his way out of feelings and situations he didn’t understand.

The only thing he  _ did  _ understand at the moment was that the only ones he trusted were his brothers. But Huey and Dewey didn’t know anymore than he did. 

Dewey was the only one eager to jump into action. He wanted to be a part of the rebellion. But he was also still a kid, just like Louie and Huey. An angry, passionate, confused kid.

Yeah, that was the right word. Louie and his brothers were confused. None of them knew how to react to any of this, so they had each become numb in their own ways. 

Louie’s best defense to the unexplainable changes occurring around him had been to go radio silent. Up until Webby had broken them out of the tower, Louie hadn’t said a word to either of his brothers in days. 

Huey had obviously been concerned, but knew Louie well enough then to push it. So, Huey had let him stay mute. 

Louie didn’t even need to speak, since Huey and Dewey had always been fighting. Dewey wanted to leave. Huey didn’t.

Louie could never decide what he wanted. He usually let his older brothers settle it for him. 

Louie really wanted to retreat back to that safe option of closing himself off, but that just wasn’t reasonable. Louie was being pushed out of his shell, faced with a decision he didn’t want to make.

Webby and her grandma, Mrs. Beakley, would be taking them to the rebellion soon. And while Dewey was practically zipping across their room as they waited, Huey and Louie were much more reserved. 

Louie could read his brothers easily since they were both pretty transparent in what they believed. So he knew that Huey felt similarly to him.

Fully joining the rebellion meant they were purposely choosing to oppose Magica. 

Louie wasn’t stupid; he knew Magica was evil. Dewey was probably right about Huey’s indecision, but not Louie’s. He had gotten much better at spotting a manipulator. 

So even though he knew submitting to Magica was wrong, Louie was fearful of what would happen if he didn’t. 

He wasn’t sure he wanted the sorceress defeated. He wasn’t sure if he wanted things to go back to how they were. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to give his allegiance to the rebellion.

Surely. . . surely there was some part of Magica that cared about them?

Louie’s conflicted train of thought was abruptly stopped as Webby dashed into their room. “You guys! My granny’s ready, we can go to the meeting now!”

“Wahoo! Let’s get going then!” Dewey exclaimed, practically bouncing over to her.

Huey and Louie followed, although they were both much more quiet. 

It was just the five of them going, since Della and Donald weren’t cleared yet. Della waved goodbye, happily telling them to enjoy their first big adventure. 

Louie definitely didn’t think this would be a very fun adventure. This was the first time he’d left the mansion since arriving about a week ago, and Duckburg was just as creepy as before. The sky was blood red, and shadows swarmed everywhere as if they were birds.

As they ventured out into the darkness, Louie was surprised when the shadows started nipping at all of them. “Ouch!” he yelped.

“Oh, sorry!” Webby shouted, trying to shoo the shadowy beasts away. “Violet gave me something for this. She enchanted it to keep the shadows away from us.”

Webby reached in her pocket and pulled out an encrusted golden oval and rubbed it. The shadows left them alone soon after, eerily shrieking as they retreated. Louie shuddered. He would’ve greatly preferred the tower to this.

The group continued on their way, winding through the rough, shambled streets. Louie could see faint signs of inhabitants, leading him to believe many were still living in their houses, although they obviously hardly ventured outside. 

Huh. It seemed the only one who ever got to be free was Magica.

“Are we close?” Huey murmured, tightly clutching his JWG. He was nervously watching the sky.

“Ah, lighten up!” Dewey laughed. “It’s not every day we get to hang with the shadows! I bet we could get a serious sunburn judging by how the sky’s literally on fire.”

“Not really since the sun is blocked-”

“Just a few more minutes!” Webby interjected, grinning. 

“Wait. All of you stop. Don’t say a word,” Mrs. Beakley suddenly ordered. 

Louie instantly froze. Oh great. More nightmare fuel. His gaze rapidly darted to the multiple shadowy crevices that surrounded their path. There could be any kind of danger hidden inside!

All he heard was the  _ snap  _ of a branch before a flurry of attackers burst out. Louie and his brothers were definitely the most useless fighters in the world, but Webby and Beakley had their adversaries begging for mercy within seconds. 

Upon closer inspection, the group seemed to be made up of beefy dogs with black masks around their eyes. “Beagle Boys,” Beakley sighed, still holding one of them up with her fist. “What do you want this time?”

“Please ma’am! We don’ want any trouble!” one of them begged.

“You attacked  _ us _ !” Dewey pointed out.

“We’re uh- under new management.”

Looking more annoyed than angry, Beakley let the Beagle Boy she’d been holding hostage drop to the ground. Then, another someone joined their party. 

A short and stubby duck with a gray beard maniacally laughed in their faces. “You shoulda seen the look on your faces! Oh we had you! Now. . . give me all yer money!”

Louie had to smother his own laughter. This guy reminded him of a cartoony comic book character. 

“We don’t have anything on us Glomgold,” Beakley replied in monotone, clearly not in the mood for any of this. 

“You don’t?” 

“We don’t.”

Glomgold deflated a bit. “Well I’ll be havin’ the last laugh! I’ll show Scrooge! I’ll show all o’ you! Glomgold Industries will be on top within a month!”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to restart your business elsewhere, as we have nothing to give you,” Beakley smoothed her apron coolly. 

“Watch me!” Glomgold yowled, retreating away with his posse of Beagle Boys.

Louie oddly found himself feeling a shred of respect for the guy. He had to give it to Glomgold, he was committed to making money even during the end of the world.

“That was weird,” Huey broke the silence after a while.

“Yes. And quite unnecessary,” Beakley agreed. “Let’s keep going.”

Louie was grateful once they finally arrived at a sewer cover. Even if it meant going down into a stinky sewer, he was happy to leave the apocalypse behind for a bit.

Webby led them through dimly lit tunnels and into a hole in the wall that spit them out right into the headquarters of the rebellion. The meeting had already started, but they all paused for their arrival. 

But it wasn’t the dozens of new faces that caught Louie’s attention first. It was Lena. She was there too.

Huey and Dewey had obviously noticed her as well, and for an incredibly tense moment they all held eye contact before abruptly looking away.

“Fantastic! You’re here!” A bubbly Hispanic duck exclaimed. It was a bit overwhelming since everyone suddenly came rushing towards the triplets.

Louie locked up as he grabbed Huey’s hand. He wondered if these rebels were going to attack him, but thankfully they stopped before getting too close.

“Webby, I am pleased you have made it here safely. Did my enchantment work well for you?” A purple hummingbird stepped forward. Louie thought it was a bit peculiar that all of these adults were letting a kid speak first. 

“It worked great, Violet!” Webby assured her, completely glossing over their run in with the Beagle Boys.

Then Violet turned to Huey, Dewey, and Louie, shaking each of their hands. “I am pleased to hear of your liberation.” she told them acutely. 

They all nodded, unsure of how to respond to that. 

“Yes, all of our apologies. But to put it bluntly, no one really knew you were gone,” said a lanky looking chicken.

“It must’ve been awful to live with that witch,” soothed an officer. “But you’re all safe now.”

Many people kept telling Louie he was safe, yet he never believed them. They had no way to know what might happen in the future. And he certainly didn’t trust any of these rebel strangers. 

Huey seemed just as petrified as Louie, so Dewey spoke on both of their behalf. “You don’t need to worry about us. We just want to help you defeat Magica.”

A bit surprised, the rebels backed off. A few of them introduced themselves. As the group began to congregate around the stone table, Louie noticed Lena still hunched in the corner of the room.

Dewey obviously did too, since he was purposely pushing Louie and Huey away from her. 

“Wait guys! Come over here!” Webby called, motioning them over to one of the ducks who hadn’t spoken. He wore a red coat over a yellow sweater and kept fiddling with his beanie.

“Oh, hello!” he exclaimed, peering down at the three of them curiously. “You look like little Donalds!”

“Huey, Dewey, Louie, this is Fethry Duck! He’s your cousin!” Webby introduced.

Another relative? Louie hadn’t expected that. Or maybe he should’ve, since Webby had shown them how massive their family tree was. 

“Awesome!” said Dewey.

“Donald is our uncle, actually. Della is our mom.” Huey added. 

“Della?” Fethry looked shocked. “I didn’t know that she had eggs!”

When Fethry didn’t say anything for an awkward amount of time, Louie broke in. “Uh. . . is that bad?”

“No, no! This is wonderful news! Have you been with Donald and Della all this time? I miss them but still have no idea where they’ve gone off to.”

“We. . . haven’t. But they're back now, living in Uncle Scrooge’s mansion. I bet you could come see them soon,” Dewey chipped in.

“I’d love that!” Fethry grinned. “They’d get a real kick out of the experiments Boyd and I have been working on, I’m sure.”

Louie didn’t get that sense that Donald and Della loved geeky science experiments, but he didn’t object. 

“Experiments? Are you a scientist?” Huey piped up curiously. 

“I heard my name. Does someone need me?” a small gray parrot with bright eyes was suddenly at Fethry’s side. Louie took it that this was Boyd.

“Hi Boyd! I was telling these three about our experiment.”

Boyd turned to Louie and his brothers. “You are Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck! You haven’t been free for very long, but I’m very happy you are. And I’m Boyd, a definitely real boy!”

_ Free.  _ Louie didn’t like that. It meant that he had been imprisoned. He didn’t want to think of Lena as someone who had locked them up. . .

“We’re also real,” Huey smiled.

“Fethry and I have been sampling the ocean from the beach. Hopefully we’ll be able to conduct our project much easier after Magica’s gone.”

“What are you sampling the water for?” Huey was clearly interested now.

“Ooookay!” Dewey clapped his hands, clearly bored. “How about we go join the meeting now, yeah?”

When they joined the rest of the rebellion to see what they were planning, Louie’s stomach instantly swirled uncomfortably. They were talking about Magica. 

“It is only logical that the upcoming eclipse would take away Magica’s powers, as it is what they’re most strongly connected to,” Violet was saying. 

“And what about Scrooge? Will we be able to break him out of his curse?” Officer Cabrera inquired. 

“We simply need to get a hold of the Number One Dime, which Magica will surely be keeping close. Once Magica is stripped of control, all of her spells will be broken, therefore releasing Scrooge,” Violet elaborated. 

“So that gives us about another week to prepare,” Fenton murmured, anxiously tapping the table. 

Louie shared a nervous glance with Huey. Neither of them were at ease being here. Was Louie really ready to commit to this? Did he even have the guts to stand up to Magica?

Maybe this was all wrong. By going along with the rebellion, Louie would be deliberately disobeying Magica’s wishes. 

_ Agh. What am I supposed to do?  _ Accusing thoughts kept echoing through Louie’s mind. 

“Do I need to crash my plane into something?” Launchpad suggested.

Louie tuned everyone out. He had already heard what he needed to know anyway. Besides, there was something much more interesting happening in their midst. 

Lena was leaving, unbeknownst to the others. So, fueled by curiosity, Louie followed her.

She seemed to be walking rather aimlessly down the tunnels. The loud swashing of dirty water echoing off the cobble walls kept Louie’s presence a secret. But he must’ve slipped up at one point because she turned around and jumped about three feet in the air. 

“Oh! Louie you scared me!” Lena cried. 

“Sorry. I just wanted to see where you were going.”

Lena gave a sad smile, and then she hugged him. Louie was surprised at how much he’d needed it.

“Well, I was heading back to where I’ve been sleeping. I didn’t want to be in there anymore. Makes me feel all queasy. I was really just checking to make sure you three were all right,” Lena sighed after pulling away. 

“You’ve been sleeping in the sewers? Why didn’t you go back to the tower?” Louie felt a sudden pang of sympathy. 

Lena kept walking. “In all honesty, I’m scared to go back there.”

“Me too,” Louie mumbled. 

The two were quiet for a moment before Lena asked, “Do you hate me?”

“Of course not!” Louie quickly replied before pausing. “Dewey didn’t really mean that.”

“It’s okay for you to be mad. I know I’ve left you in the dark.”

“Dewey’s just. . . all of us are hurting. A part of me wants everything to go back to how it used to be. But I don’t know if it’s the best option.”

Lena stopped and looked Louie right in the eyes. “Always remember that I’m here for you and your brothers. Whatever you want to do, I’ll be with you.”

Louie finally felt comfortable for the first time in weeks. But the moment was shattered as soon as an explosion of purple smoke erupted between them.

And it was none other than Magica de Spell that emerged from it.

“Why hello Lena, are you ready to go home now?” Magica sneered. When she turned her attention on Louie, he felt rooted to the spot in a mausoleum of fear. “Although I must ask where Red and Bluey are.”

Suddenly, Magica picked Louie up by the hood and held him dangling above the ground. Her cold touch sent shivers down his spine.

“Don’t touch him!” Lena screamed. She pulled out her amulet and jerked it to the left, wrenching Louie out of Magica’s grasp. He quickly backed away and hid behind Lena.

Magica laughed her off. “You’re still nothing without me and we both know it. In fact, I could send you back to the shadow realm right this second!”

“Get away from us,” Lena’s voice was dangerously low.

Magica shook her head, as if all of this was hilarious. “Don’t you think I’m quite aware of your little scheme? I know that idiotic rebellion plans to take away my powers. In fact, I look forward to their attempt!”

Lena stood rigidly, guarding Louie as she watched Magica with a look of pure hatred.

Magica gazed down at them devilishly. Two of the four children she’d kept in a tower. Louie was definitely not okay with how cheery she was being. 

“I’ll see you at the eclipse!” she cackled before promptly vanishing. 

Louie and Lena stood in silence as they processed Magica’s sudden return. 

“There you are Louie!” came Huey’s voice. “I figured you’d gone off with Lena.”

Louie ran to his brother, incredibly thankful he hadn’t shown up a few seconds earlier. They hugged as soon as they reached each other.

“What were you doing?” Huey asked.

“Not much. Just talking,” Louie answered, deciding it would do more harm than good to reveal Magica had just been there.

Louie realized Huey was staring at Lena, who stood a few paces away, with wide eyes. Huey said nothing, and Louie wasn’t sure if he was angry or not. 

Huey took a deep breath and turned away. “We should head back hom- to the mansion. Dewey’s waiting.”

Louie agreed, halfheartedly waving goodbye to Lena. He wondered how he would ever fall asleep that night.


	13. The Eclipse and its Tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am finally back with another chapter! And so is Ducktales for it's final run! Honestly, "Beaks in the Shell" is one of my all-time favorite episodes now. 
> 
> But anyways, as I'm nearing the conclusion of this story, I will try to update more frequently. I am so thankful for all of the readers who have stuck around. I always appreciate every kudos and review!
> 
> So without further ado, I hope you enjoy. :)

The city somehow seemed different that morning. Huey didn’t know exactly how to describe it, but he could almost feel the shift in the air. 

The long-hidden citizens of Duckburg probably had no idea that the rebellion planned to take down Magica today. They were oblivious to the fact that they might get to come outside, without fear, for the first time in years. 

The eclipse was only a few hours away.

The members of the rebellion were completely confident in their plan. Perhaps Huey should’ve stopped being so anxious. It was probably doing more harm than good. They seemed to know what they were doing. . . 

Yet he didn’t want any part in it. He definitely didn’t want to fight against Magica. He also didn’t exactly want to return to the tower anymore, even though it was comfortable. 

Ever since seeing Lena in the tunnels he’d felt a consuming emptiness. It was like his brain had decided not to work anymore. 

Which of course, was very unnerving for Huey, since his brain was the one part of him he could rely on. 

He truly wanted to be prepared for the outcome of the eclipse. But he couldn’t understand any of what he was meant to do.

Huey had tried to make sense of it all. He’d hoped that logically, he would somehow know the answer to where he should be placing his allegiance. 

Should he side with the rebellion? An organization he’d only just learned about, that was intent on being the heroes? Surely it would be foolish to stop them from  _ saving  _ the city. 

To Della? The one he was supposed to be calling his mother, despite her only entering their lives recently? 

Or Lena? The sister who had raised him, and he considered his family? The sister who Huey had constantly believed would come back. . . but never actually did?

And if he was siding with Lena, then wasn’t he also choosing Magica?

It was all too much. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think his way out of this one. It was incredibly frustrating. Huey had all of the facts in front of him. So why couldn’t he make a logical decision? Why wasn’t knowledge enough?

What would happen if he chose wrong?

Huey had tried being loyal. He had really thought that was the way to go; it was his duty. Magica and Lena were his family. They both loved Huey and his brothers. So why would he have wanted to leave them, when they’d given him so much?

He didn’t want to turn his back on the ones who had raised him. 

In the end, It had been a mix of curiosity and Dewey’s desperation. If leaving the tower had made Dewey and Louie finally smile, then it had to have been worth it. 

At least Huey hoped so. The triplets had really stepped into a mess of a world. He hadn’t once felt at ease since leaving the tower, with his stomach constantly twisting into knots. And now Huey simply couldn’t understand anything anymore. . . 

He felt like he was going insane, and no one knew. 

Sure, he’d be there during the eclipse. He would fight to the best of his crappy ability. Magica’s victory or demise would inevitably play out either way. It wouldn’t really matter what role Huey chose in all this.

But for some reason, it still irked him.  _ I’m going to mess up. I’m going to say something wrong. I won’t make the right choices. They’ll be mad at me. I’m not good enough for my family.  _

Maybe he ought to start viewing the world the way Dewey had come to. Maybe that would make everything less complicated, so that he could process it a bit easier. 

He needed to stop believing in people so much. He needed to stop believing he could live up to his own expectations. 

About half an hour later, the triplets were still alone in their room. They were all silent, lost in their own thoughts as they waited for someone to come fetch them. 

Surprisingly, it was Louie who spoke up. “Guys, I think we should address it.”

“Address what?” Dewey asked sourly. Huey wasn’t expecting him to be in such a lousy mood. Dewey always seemed so happy to be with their  _ real  _ family now. 

Or maybe Dewey had just been doing exactly what Huey had - putting on a front. 

Louie shrugged, sitting up from the floor. “Everything. Magica. Lena too, I guess.” 

“Who cares? By the end of today, they’ll both be out of our lives,” Dewey huffed, glaring at both of his brothers. 

“Do you really want Lena gone?” Huey asked. Dewey didn’t really mean it. . . did he? 

“Yes! Well I mean- I, I don’t want to think about it.” Dewey’s anger deflated out of him. 

“This is all really confusing for me too,” Huey murmured. “I feel like I’m supposed to care more about these people. But. . .”

“You don’t,” Louie filled in. Huey nodded. 

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out after Magica’s dead,” said Dewey. 

Huey’s chest tightened. Was the rebellion actually going to kill Magica? Did Magica really deserve that? Huey wanted to believe she could be better. 

“I’m not sure,” Huey rubbed his wrists. “It’s not like we’ll have this sudden clarity. Our new life is still going to be confusing after the eclipse.”

There was a beat of silence before Louie reluctantly said, “You know I. . . I saw Lena in the tunnels. Magica showed up at one point too. Lena still loves us. She told me she does. I think we should forgive her.” 

“Of course she loves us, Louie. But I think it’s best if she stays away for a bit is all,” Huey told him sadly. In the last few weeks, their relationship with Lena had become impossibly tangled. 

Dewey said nothing, and only kept his gaze straight ahead. Although Huey felt somewhat reassured that he didn’t look as furious as he usually did when Lena was mentioned. 

Louie sighed. “Well, no matter what happens, the three of us have got to stick together.”

“You know we will,” Dewey smiled, sounding like his old self. “If there’s anything we can count on, it’s each other.” 

The moon had already begun to move in front of the sun. The rebellion would attack soon, but they were being very meticulous about their strike. They needed to disarm Magica as the eclipse was perfectly aligned so her powers would be drained. 

The rebellion was hiding out in an abandoned building. Half of one of the walls was missing, and the place was empty of furniture. It was like a cave that kept them hidden from the roaming shadows.

In the meantime, the members were discussing the plan of action. Huey already knew his job: don’t get in the way and don’t die. 

From the looks of things, he wouldn’t want it any other way. He could see Magica floating high up in the sky, looking tiny compared to the flaming orange sun behind her. The shadows swarmed all around her in a cyclone. Huey knew they would all look like dots from way up there, but he still felt like Magica was watching. She was waiting for them, completely unbothered. 

“Don’t worry! Everything’s going to be totally fine!” 

“Huh- what?” Huey realized Della was talking to him and his brothers. 

“Everyone on this team is very capable. Except maybe your Uncle Donald. . . but still! Magica doesn’t stand a chance!” she exclaimed. 

Huey gave her a weak smile. He knew Della was only trying her best to be there for her kids, even if none of them were as close to her as they should’ve been. 

It wasn’t Della’s fault they’d been living in a dark tower for ten years. She would’ve been there in a heartbeat if she could. 

“Thanks Mom,” said Dewey. 

Della rubbed his shoulders and then left towards the larger group. None of the triplets said anything. Everything they’d wanted to say had already been said.

Heaving a sigh, Huey made his way towards Boyd. Maybe they could strike up a conversation to relax before complete chaos broke out. 

He didn’t get very far before he was intercepted by Lena. “We should talk,” she said kindly. “I think you need it.”

“How do you know?” Huey furrowed his brow. 

“Because of the way you’re holding yourself. I can tell you’re more stressed and anxious than usual,” she murmured, guiding him away to a more private place. 

Huey’s eyes widened, instantly becoming aware of how rigidly he was standing. He let out a deep breath in an attempt to loosen up.

And she was certainly right about his feelings. He hated how his stomach suddenly swirled just because he was talking to Lena alone after such a long time. Huey shouldn’t be nervous to talk to Lena.

Once they sat down, Huey asked the first question that came to mind. “Why are you still here when we keep turning you away?”

“There’s nothing on earth that would keep me from trying to come back,” Lena answered honestly.

“But all four of us being here means we're fighting Magica. We shouldn’t be. . . betraying her.”

Lena looked at him dolefully. “Huey, you don’t owe Magica anything. She doesn’t deserve your loyalty.” 

“But she kept us safe. You always said that,” Huey pointed out, somewhat confused. 

“In a way. But I had to say that. It was really more of  _ me  _ wanting to keep you safe.” 

Huey shook his head. “I feel really, really lost. I don't know which side I’m supposed to choose. Or which family. It seems like whatever I do, I’ll just mess up all of the outcomes. I always try to be prepared for any situation, and now I’ve failed everyone by not being able to figure this out. If I figured it out then it wouldn’t be so confusing anymore, and Dewey and Louie could be happy again.” 

Lena was silent for a moment, taking on the expression everyone did when Huey started to ramble. “Well, no one expects you to have it all figured out. You’re still just a kid,” Lena said slowly. 

Huey fiddled with the bottom of his shirt. Just because he was a kid didn’t mean he was incapable of complex feelings. 

“And maybe you don't actually have to choose a specific group. You can choose the people you care about. Fight by their side.”

“Doesn’t Magica care about us?” 

A shadow passed over Lena’s face. “I-I don’t know. But you shouldn’t worry about that. Ultimately, we’ll all be safer without Magica in charge.”

Huey buried his face in his hands.  _ But Magica must’ve done something for us. She gave us a home and safety from the shadows.  _

_ The shadows she created,  _ another part of him whispered back. 

_ But it’s wrong of me to fight her after everything she’s done for us.  _

_ Magica kept us in the tower. _

_ No, Lena’s right. I should choose people. Lena and Dewey and Louie would be more hurt if Magica kept her power.  _

His thoughts kept battling it out. Huey realized he‘d begun to shake. He tensed up at a sudden touch. Lena had wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Huey kept his face buried for a few more moments before leaning into the embrace. 

They stayed like that for a long time. 

As they approached Magica, Huey realized nothing had changed. She was just as terrifying as the last time he’d seen her.

They’d assembled into a large group, ready to fight the sorceress. Huey noticed the flock of civilians that had gathered together on the beach, nervously awaiting the fight. It was a gray parrot in business attire that caught his attention. He was holding his phone up towards the sky. . . apparently looking for a signal? 

They were marching down the pier. The ocean was frantic today, with it’s waves only becoming more intense with each minute ticking by. 

The green waters slammed against the pier as Huey squinted up at the converging sun and moon. A wall of foam splashed onto the lot of them, leaving droplets all across Huey’s red shirt. 

Huey and his brothers. Lena. Webby, Beakley, Della and Donald, Boyd, Gyro, Fenton, Officer Cabrera. Even their Uncle Scrooge, although he was still trapped in his zombified state. They were all here. 

And so was Magica. She floated down to meet them, with the Number One Dime playfully glinting from around her neck.

“Someone’s cocky,” Louie whispered. Huey could see what he meant. Magica obviously wasn’t too threatened by them if she had her most prized possession so out in the open. Her shadows had also disappeared, and it gave Huey a sinking feeling as he wondered where they went. 

“Ah, the rebellion!” Magica’s bill curled. “We meet at last! I must say, I’m honored that you’ve given me such thought. But unfortunately for you, this isn’t a battle you can win. All I have to do is stall.” 

Violet snapped her fingers, and her teammates burst into action. Boyd landed the first blow, shooting lasers from his eyes. 

“What in the-” Magica cried, outraged. 

Huey had to process that for a moment. Boyd was a robot? Incredible! What an astounding marvel of technology for him to be so capable. And yet he was clearly so much more. He was a kid, with real feelings and ideas and-

Huey’s train of thought was abruptly cut off as a shadow tackled him and Louie to the ground. They both grunted as they tried to fight it off, but their attempts were useless as the shadow began to squeeze them like an anaconda killing its prey. 

Suddenly, Donald and Della were there to save them, slashing through the shadow. It left them alone with an eerie shriek.

“And stay away!” Donald quacked furiously. 

“Are you boys okay?” Della gasped, as she and Donald helped them up. 

“Fine,” Louie replied. 

“Do you know where your brother is?” Della asked worriedly.

Huey scoured the battlefield for Dewey. Remarkably, Magica was holding out against their endless attacks. Multiple rebels were chucking weapons and shooting lasers at her. Webby had a grappling hook. Fenton was armored in a huge white and red suit that transformed him into what he called Gizmoduck. 

Magica reflected their relentless attacks with the force field she conjured from her purple staff. More and more shadows seemed to blink into existence to join the battle. 

And then he spotted Dewey. His brother was dangerously close to Magica. The sorceress had begun shooting blasts of energy from the gem in her staff. Huey wanted to scream as he saw one coming right for Dewey.

In a flash, Lena rushed at the blue duckling, knocking him away from the blast. Dewey’s first reaction was anger upon seeing Lena, but then his expression softened. “Thanks,” he said quietly. 

Magica flashed Lena and Dewey a look of such hatred that Huey’s heart skipped a beat. 

“Your petty attempts are useless! The eclipse is already upon us!” Magica howled in laughter. 

Violet stood her ground. Huey wasn’t sure what she was saying before realizing the hummingbird was muttering incantations. The Number One Dime became desperate to leave Magica’s hold, and started tugging towards Violet like a magnet. 

A large red, orange, and white plane became visible in Huey’s peripheral vision. Everything suddenly clicked into place. Huey remembered this part of the plan. It was the distraction. 

“No! You can’t have it!” Magica shrieked, desperately holding onto the dime slipping from her neck. She didn’t realize that Launchpad was hurling the plane right towards her. 

“That’s my plane!” Della watched it giddily. Huey wondered what history his mother had with it. She must’ve been the pilot before Launchpad. 

Magica noticed the plane a little too late. She wasn’t able to command her army of shadows to move it away because the Sunchaser was already crashing right into the pier. 

As the dock below him shook with force, Huey and the rest of the rebellion quickly moved away from the point of impact. 

The ending section of the pier crumbled, dropping Magica down into the cruel waves that were quickly overtaking the wreckage. 

The Sunchaser rocked in the waves as Launchpad prepared to bring it back into the sky again. Huey had no idea how that plane and physics ever went hand in hand. 

The dime suddenly popped out of the ocean and came flying right into Violet’s hands. Dewey had somehow managed to get a hold of Magica’s staff before she’d fallen in. 

Within seconds, Magica resurfaced, angrily climbing back onto the pier. She glanced up at the eclipse, her entire body soaked as she took it in. 

The sun was barely a sliver now. Magica’s time had run out. 

“Now!” Violet commanded. 

Dewey nodded as he smashed Magica’s staff into the ground. It’s power erupted from the gem, sending purple shards spewing into the ocean. 

All at once, a continuous beam of light connected from the staff, to the dime, to Magica, and up to eclipse. 

Magica was raised off the ground by her swarm of shadows and towards the eclipse. A flash of blinding light erupted from the now total eclipse with a forceful boom. 

Magica was dropped into the ocean like a ragdoll, her green feathers gone. 

But no one was paying attention to Magica anymore, because Scrooge was free of his curse at last! Della and Donald were already running towards their Uncle. The three of them embraced in a storm of overjoyed, relieved tears. 

Huey ran to join them, first stopping to check behind his back. Magica, who was now pathetically climbing away by gripping the side of the pier, was alive. She’d lost everything. Huey couldn’t help but feel a little bad for her. 

Huey wasn’t sleepy. Neither was Dewey or Louie. It wasn’t uncommon for them to be restless in the mansion. But they should’ve been at peace after today’s events. 

Since defeating Magica, the rest of the day had been a celebration. For the city, for the rebellion, and for the Duck family. They’d spent the afternoon eating an eloquent dinner and getting to know Scrooge, their most impressive relative yet. 

Scrooge McDuck truly did seem to come out of a storybook. Huey, Dewey, and Louie had marveled over his many adventures and accomplishments. Webby had had a happiness overload. 

Their Uncle had certainly inspired Huey. But he couldn’t bring himself to focus on the future. There still seemed to be too much going on now. How could it all just be suddenly over? 

Huey wasn’t as  _ happy  _ as he thought he’d be. The adventure was done. His confusing, anxious feeling should’ve gone away by now.

He suspected it was because of Lena. The last they’d seen her had been at the pier. She hadn’t joined in on any of the celebrations. Perhaps she was trying to respectfully keep her space, but Huey wanted her with them.

Because as much as Huey was coming to appreciate his relatives, Lena was more of the triplets family than they were.

So, they triplets were left to silently walk the halls of the slumbering mansion. The night sky was brighter than Huey had ever seen it. The moonlight seeped in through the windows, casting light in patches across the carpet. Now outside wasn’t so scary. There were no shadows, no bloody horizon. 

The tranquil moment was ruined as the three boys suppressed a scream. As if she were a ghost, Magica had appeared right in front of them.

But she was definitely real, glowering down at the children she’d kept in a tower all their lives. However, the most shocking detail of all, was that  _ Lena  _ stood behind her. 

Why was Lena with Magica? Huey had thought their sister would want nothing to do with the sorceress now. And why was Magica here? 

“Miss me?” Magica grinned. 

Louie shivered and Huey moved closer to him, taking his hand in an effort to comfort him. 

Dewey defiantly crossed his arms. “Not really, no.”


End file.
